Central Coast Mariners boss Alen Stajcic says Newcastle Jets’ 1-0 win over Western United exposed weaknesses in Mark Rudan’s game he plans to exploit on Sunday afternoon.
United had the chance to go equal top of the ladder with a win over the Jets but were instead held goalless in a frustrating loss for Rudan’s side.
United took 19 shots in an attacking barrage but could not break down a resolute Jets defence, and Stajcic hopes his side can hold similarly firm when they host United at Central Coast Stadium on Sunday.
“They probably have got some of the most skilful players in the competition,” Stajcic said.
“You look at [Alessandro] Diamanti, [Besart] Berisha, Scott McDonald has been doing really well for them as well.
“Their starting 11 is up there in terms of technique and tactical awareness, it’s probably the most experienced team in the league with [Andrew] Durante at the back.
“They’ve also got a few vulnerabilities Newcastle exploited last week, so it’s going to be an interesting match up for us and certainly a good test of how we’re travelling and how we’re progressing.”
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The Mariners will be eager to bounce back after a disappointing display in the 3-1 reverse against Adelaide last weekend, where they started the game on the front foot but conceded three before the half-time interval in a sub-par display.
But Stajcic says his side are ready to make a quick return to their early season form, starting with a much-improved performance against United.
“I guess the positive signs were we started well and ended well, but the sandwich in the middle wasn’t very good at all,” Stajcic said.
“For the first 20 minutes I thought we were the better team but certainly from the 20th minute to the 70th minute was probably the poorest football we’ve played this season, which wasn’t good.
“Certainly our defending in that period let us down.
“There were some good signs, the way we attacked, the way we came back at the end of the game, the way we started the game, but certainly that middle period was a concern last week and something we tried to address this week.
“I think we’ve shown good patches in every game so far this year.
“The progression from the FFA Cup where we made the Semi Final and into the first few games against Wanderers and Newcastle, we’ve shown every week we’re improving and every week we’re competitive.
“I’m very confident, the squad depth is the most we’ve had all year. It’s going to be a tough selection for the game which is every coaches dream.”
One player providing Stajcic a selection dilemma is Daniel De Silva, who returns to action after missing his side’s loss to Adelaide with a knee injury.
After watching his side go down too easily last weekend, De Silva is determined to make a swift impact on the Mariners’ fortunes with a solid display this weekend.
“It’s great to be back in the squad and involved this weekend,” De Silva said.
“It always sucks when you miss a game so I’m definitely looking forward to the weekend.
“We’re not going to make it easy for them.
“We’re going to play to our best ability and try our best to get the three points.”
Central Coast host Western United at Central Coast Stadium on Sunday afternoon, 6:00pm (AEDT). Get your tickets now.
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