THE NEWCASTLE Jets have spent four months getting fit, becoming familiar with each other and bedding down a new playing style - now it's time for the real deal.
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A new-look Jets will play their first competitive match - a must win FFA Cup qualifier against Western United - in Geelong on Saturday, and nothing less than a win will be satisfactory.
"The FFA Cup is a great competition across Australia," Jets midfielder Angus Thurgate said. "We are not taking it lightly. We are going down there to win. We are working hard so we can hopefully go on a cup run."
The Jets open their A-League campaign against the Central Coast at home on Sunday week.
They went down 1-0 to the Mariners in the corresponding game last season in Gosford - the first of four defeats to open the campaign.
"Winning is a mentality," Thurgate said. "We need to start strong and not wait a couple of rounds to build that mentality. We want to be ready for round one and this is a perfect opportunity to do that."
Dane Ingham's last competitive game was for New Zealand in a heart-breaking loss on penalties to Japan in the quarter-final at the Tokyo Olympics in July.
"That seems a long time ago," the Jets right back said. "We have been training really hard since day one of pre-season. In the two friendly games we have played [against A-League teams] it has showed. Once we hit 60 to 70 minutes, we can kick into another gear. We are feeling fit and ready to fire.
"We are going down to Melbourne to win. We are also going there to display the football we have been working really hard on.
"We haven't played too many games together. Over the past couple of weeks we have been able to work on our football more. Now there is a competitive game, we want to win and lead into round one, which is perfect."
Western United also boast a new-look team, which features former Jets defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley and mercurial Italian midfielder Alessandro Diamanti.
"They are a new squad as well," Thurgate said. "They have some quality players but we are not really focusing on them. We have made it clear this pre-season that we are focused on us and the way we want to play.
"We are looking good. We are working hard and performances in the trial games have been good. We are not focusing too much on the result, more the performance. It's promising.
"We are gelling and playing the way the boss wants to play - like a freight train - and it will be good to show that on Saturday."
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James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
