There isn’t long until the Newcastle Jets walk out of the tunnel for their FFA Cup match against Western United for a fresh load of challenges the Cup brings.
With a whole new-look side, there’s an air of freshness to this year’s Jets under new Manager Arthur Papas, and this weekend provides the first opportunity for fans to see the brand-new style of play that our side hope will catch Western off-guard.
With the start of the Isuzu UTE A-League season just over one week away, it’ll be our first competitive hit-out as we travel to Geelong for the FFA Cup Play-off Match.
Dane Ingham and Angus Thurgate have both featured heavily throughout the recent trial matches fixtures but believe that the Cup brings a whole new challenge, but one they are well and truly up for.
“We are going there to win,” Ingham said.
“We are also going there to display our football that we have been working really hard on.
“We know it will be a good opposition as well, (Western United) have got a fairly new team as well like us, but we are going there to showcase what we have been working on and to get the win obviously.”
For Thurgate, the excitement is high amongst the team to get out of the park and see the fruits of their labour from pre-season training.
“It’s very exciting (to play some games),” Thurgate said.
“It’s been a long pre-season but the boys are looking forward to having an introduction into competitive football this weekend and we can’t wait.
“They are a new squad as well (Western United), they have got some quality players, but we aren’t really focusing on them. We made it clear this pre-season we are focused on playing the way we want to play.”
Much has been said about the exciting style of play the team are looking to implement this season, and it’s clear many fans are on the edge of their seat to see it in action.
Thurgate said the team are looking to be aggressive and high-energy, ‘like a freight train.’
“Everything is 100 miles an hour,” Thurgate said.
“When we don’t have the ball and when we do have the ball, we are non-stop.
“We are going at teams, and once we get a foothold in the game, we keep our foot there.”
Ingham is one of the fresh faces that have joined the Club this year, arriving after spending time in Tokyo, Japan where he played for New Zealand in the Olympics.
While playing with and against many varying styles isn’t new to the young defender, Ingham was confident the new Jets play will be effective and something the fans will enjoy.
“It’s [the style] is very different to what I have experience before,” Ingham said.
“I think a lot of the boys are in the same boat. It’s very attacking, it’s very aggressive but it’s enjoyable.
“We all know the jobs and it’s a little bit more risky, but it’s the style we want to play and it’s a style we want the fans to come watch.”
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