Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Phil Moss says he is expecting a tough contest in the round 7 clash with Perth Glory at nib Stadium on Saturday evening, but admits his side will head across the Nullarbor full of confidence.
Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Phil Moss says he is expecting a tough contest in the round 7 clash with Perth Glory at nib Stadium on Saturday evening, but admits his side will head across the Nullarbor full of confidence.
“They have players like (Shane) Smeltz, Sidnei (Sciola Moraes) on one side and (Ryo) Nagai on the other,” Moss said. “They have plenty of pace, (Steven) McGarry is a smart player in midfield and Jacob Burns is a great leader. They have got a quality outfit and it-s not going to be easy over there, it never is.”
“We-ve worked hard this week on our defensive structure and our transition into attack, I think that is an area where we can exploit Perth if we have a good day with the ball. We know we-ve got our work cut out, but we have so much confidence in our players and I know they are going to go there, roll their sleeves up and put in a performance.”
The match against Alistair Edwards-s men marks the first as Head Coach of the Mariners for Moss. The former Manly United mentor replaced Graham Arnold last week.
“The players- attitudes have been fantastic this week,” he said. “I think having the week off last weekend was a great chance to clear the heads with the transition from Arnie (Graham Arnold) to myself. It-s been really good and I-ve had great support from everyone, all the players and staff.”
Moss insists his team are well prepared for their third away fixture of the Hyundai A-League 2013/14 season.
“We-ve done our homework, we have a couple of things we-ve been working on to try and exploit them. I think the main thing will be the physical battle, we-ll be ready for the fight and if we can get over the top of them physically, our quality of football can shine.”
The Mariners will fly to Perth tomorrow, rather than travelling the day before game day. Moss hopes this new tactic will help improve Central Coast-s disappointing record in Western Australia.
“For the last three years our performances over there have been a little lethargic and a lot of that has to do with the time difference, so we-re trying something different this season,” he explained. “In the past when we-ve gone there and trained the afternoon we actually fly in, the boys have been very sharp. We-re happy to give it a go this season and see what comes of it.”
The new Mariners boss has named an 18-man squad to tackle the purple-whites, with New Zealand internationals Michael McGlinchey and Storm Roux included for the trip west following their time in All Whites camp.
“There-s some real decisions to make, everyone is pushing each other and that-s just the way I want it. I-ve got the same philosophy as we-ve had for three years in having two players for every position and making sure that everyone is on their toes,” he concluded.
Central Coast Mariners Squad vs. Perth Glory: 1. Justin PASFIELD (Gk), 2. Daniel MCBREEN, 3. Joshua ROSE, 4. Marcel SEIP, 5. Zachary ANDERSON, 6. Brent GRIFFITHS, 7. John HUTCHINSON (c), 8. Nick MONTGOMERY, 9. Mitchell DUKE, 10. Marcos FLORES, 11. Nick FITZGERALD, 12. Liam REDDY (Gk), 14. Michael MCGLINCHEY, 15. Storm ROUX, 16. Trent SAINSBURY, 17. Anthony CACERES, 19. Matt SIMON, 21. Mile STERJOVSKI *two to be omitted*
Ins: 14. Michael MCGLINCHEY (returns from international duty), 15. Storm ROUX (returns from international duty)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 22. Tom SLATER (back – 2 weeks)
Perth Glory vs. Central Coast Mariners – Hyundai A-League 2013/14 Round 7
Saturday 23 November, 2013
nib Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 6:30pm (local); 9:30pm (AEST)
Twitter: Join the match conversation on Twitter! The official match hash-tag is PERvCCM
Watch: Live on Fox Sports 1 & 1HD
Listen: Live on ABC Grandstand & Coast FM
