Boosted by his fifth Qantas Socceroos cap on the weekend, Brisbane Roar skipper Matt McKay is confident he can continue his winning ways at club level on Saturday night against Newcastle Jets.
McKay replaced Tim Cahill with fifteen minutes left on the clock against Paraguay to make his first appearance under new national coach Holger Osieck.
Impressed by the approach of his German mentor, McKay likened it to the style adopted by Roar coach Ange Postecoglou this Hyundai A-League season.
“It-s exactly the way we play at our club,” he said.
“It-s all about ball possession and also about if you-ve got an opportunity to play it forward, you play it forward.”
With the AFC Asian Cup in January quickly approaching, McKay was hopeful he would be included in the squad travelling to Qatar.
“I really enjoyed the week in camp,” he said.
“I got to meet some players I hadn-t met before and get a hold of the new manager and the new set-up.
“I didn-t feel out of place and I want to be part of it in the future.”
With his focus now clearly fixed on Roar duties, the 27-year-old said the upcoming frenzy of fixtures would be an ideal opportunity to close the gap on table-topping Adelaide United, especially given Brisbane-s game in hand.
However, McKay emphasised that the Roar-s sole focus was always on their own preparations and the club-s targets for the season.
“Adelaide have had a very good start to the season, and likewise, we-re happy with our start but we-ve got to keep plugging away,” he said.
“It-s not about chasing people, it-s about ourselves, looking at the way we are playing and getting the right result.
“It-s a very important week for us, and we-ll take the first step with Newcastle.
“I want to be winning games, I want to be with the Roar in the finals series and win things.
“Nothing has changed from the start of the season, we go out every game, be it home or away, and we work hard.
“That-s the ethic we-ve got here.”
Brisbane Roar take on Newcastle Jets on Saturday 16 October at Suncorp Stadium, kicking off at 7.45pm.
Kids under 15 get in for FREE – so be sure to organise your tickets in advance by calling Ticketek on 132 849 or dropping into any Ticketek agency.
