North Queensland coach Franz Straka said he is looking for a 90 minute performance out of underdone captain Ufuk Talay.
But he readily admits that it’s a big ask against Melbourne in Round three of the Hyundai A-League at AAMI Park on Sunday.
While the skipper only lasted the opening half of the Fury’s 2-1 win over champions Sydney FC, substituted for in-form teenager Osama Malik, Straka says Talay’s continued improvement in training this week indicates that his best may not be too far away.
Still, the 34-year-old’s match fitness is a work in progress having missed out on all competitive action in pre-season.
“Ufie is doing his best in the (training) sessions, but not enough for 90 minutes,” Straka said.
“I’ll let him play because he needs a powerful 90 minutes (at some stage).”
“Ufie is a very important player to us, an excellent player with great experience and character.”
Straka named an unchanged squad to travel to the Victorian capital on Saturday despite having the flu run though the squad this week.
As for changes to his starting team, the 52-year-old is still looking for everyone to push their cases.
“I’d like to start the same way we did against Sydney,” Straka said.
“But there are question marks over two positions.”
Namely, it’s the impact of Ugandan international Eugene Sseppuya and that of super-sub Dyron Daal whose 84th minute strike against the Sky Blues sealed last week’s upset win.
“It’s not easy for Eugene, he was in Townsville one week,” Straka said.
“You know how it is with jet lag and adaptation here. But he did very well, did hard work for the team.”
“It is very important we have some (impact) players on the bench, that if something happening they can come on and do something like Dyron Daal did last game.”
“It’s not about any one player, it about the ‘what is best for the team’ – we win and lose as a team.”
And they certainly celebrate as one, with Straka guaranteeing more touch-line theatrics if the largely unheralded side can continue with the giant slaying ways away from home.
“They (the players) have to know that I am one of them,” Straka said.
“They need to know that their coach is there with them.”
