Steve Corica prepares Sydney FC players for a Jets onslaught

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica is taking no notice of the Newcastle Jets’ slow start to the A-League season.

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica oversees training session in Sydney this week. Picture: AAP

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica is taking no notice of the Newcastle Jets’ slow start to the A-League season, warning his players they need to be ready for an onslaught from last season’s runners-up.

Despite playing some good football, Newcastle are without a win and sit bottom of the table after three games, in marked contrast to the same stage last season when they were riding high near the top.

But Corica knows first hand just how dangerous Ernie Merrick’s team can be. As an assistant to Graham Arnold last season he watched as the two sides shared the honours in their three tightly fought games with a win, a draw and a loss apiece.

In contrast to the Jets, the Sky Blues have started the season confidently and in good form, and deserve their share of the competition lead after two wins and a draw.

But as much as he has been delighted with their start to the season, Corica is on guard over tonight’s match at McDonald Jones Stadium.

“Newcastle have obviously had a bit of a slow start to the season so they will be coming out with all guns blazing, especially at home,” Corica said. “We need to be ready for that, especially in the first 15 minutes or so.

“But by the same token, I am only thinking about us and that we need to play our game, stick to the things we know well and that have helped us in the opening few weeks.

“I am happy with the way things are, but you are never satisfied as a coach which is why I want us to get better and to keep improving.”

Sydney are coming off a fabulous 3-0 win over Melbourne City last week — a result that caught many pundits by surprise given it was their third game in six days and came just three days after they had suffered a 2-1 loss to Adelaide United in the final of the FFA Cup.

“That is all behind us now,” Corica said. “It was a tough schedule but we got through it. I gave the boys a couple of days off early this week and it has really helped to freshen them up.

“They are ready to go again.”

Corica hinted that he is unlikely to make any changes to his line-up, with Dutchman Siem de Jong still sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Melbourne Victory midfielder James Troisi has put thoughts of playing for the Socceroos out of his mind and is concentrating on his duties at club level.

Troisi was the man who scored the goal that helped Australia win the Asian Cup back in 2015 and was also part of the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifying campaign.

However, he has yet to get a look-in with the national team under new coach Graham Arnold, who this week named a 23-man squad plus a train-on group of four A-League players for the friendlies against South Korea and Lebanon on November 17 and 20.

Those games are the final lead-up to the Asian Cup defence in the UAE in January and time is running out for those players hoping to be part of it.

Troisi, who has started to show some of his best form in recent weeks, said he has had no communication with Arnold regarding the Socceroos.

“Nothing, but I am just concentrating on Melbourne Victory and how I can help the club keep improving,” Troisi said yesterday ahead of the game against Central Coast Mariners at AAMI Park tomorrow. “I am just hungry to continue to work hard at the club, to keep the fans happy and help us go back to back.”