Queensland Roar are about to embark on a season-defining week of Hyundai A-League football and coach Frank Farina is confident his side is in the right frame of mind to play three crucial matches in seven days.
The Roar take on Central Coast this Saturday night, then travel to Adelaide for a postponed clash with the Reds mid-week, before rounding the week off by hosting Sydney FC next Saturday.
Considering the closeness of the competition, three losses could see Queensland tumble well out of the top four, but Farina was sure his chargers were ready for the challenge.
“We have four games to go and we’re in the four, other teams have only got three (games in hand), I think they’re very focused, they know what’s at stake and what the pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow,” Farina said.
“Concentration in terms of playing is not a problem, motivation as well, you don’t work yourself into the position that we are and let your levels drop.”
A loss against the Mariners this Saturday would not only be the Roar’s first defeat at Gosford, but would see the Brisbane-based club slip to two losses on the trot after suffering their first loss on the road last weekend.
Farina acknowledged that now would be an unfortunate time for a form slump, but maintained another loss would not be fundamental in the scheme of achieving overall success for the season.
“It wouldn’t be too nice, I don-t think for us it would be life threatening in terms of the four, but you certainly don’t want it.”
“We’ll still be alive if we did lose, but we aren-t planning on going down there to lose.”
“It would be lovely to win it, but I think it (the top four) won’t be decided until the last two games, so if we can pick up points in these next two games, maybe it will take a bit of pressure off us for the last two.”
One boost to the Roar’s finals hopes will be the return of Scottish playmaker Charlie Miller, who is expected to make his comeback from hernia surgery against Sydney next weekend.
Miller trained briskly on Thursday and Farina was impressed with what he saw.
“It’s looking positive, he is moving better than he has, he still has a little bit of pain there, but I think he’ll definitely be okay for the Sydney and Perth games, so that’s an added bonus for us.”
