Newcastle Jets utility David Carney says he’s excited about the forthcoming Hyundai A-League season and the future of the club.
The former Socceroo said that like everyone at the Jets he’s optimistic about the fresh start for Newcastle with new coach Scott Miller coming onboard.
Carney confirmed that right now there is a really good vibe among the squad and staff.
“It’s only been a couple of weeks since we’ve started getting back into it but training has been really good,” Carney said.
“Assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny has been here for a little while now and since Scott has come in it’s been a great partnership.
“All the boys have been saying that while last year may not have been the greatest what we’re working on right now is really positive in terms of tempo and intensity from everyone involved.
“Every session all the boys are giving 100 per cent and you really couldn’t can’t ask from much more.”
As a former English Premier League player Carney knows how tough training can be on young squad members and the ex-Sheffield United midfielder says he’s looking to use his experience to make sure the more inexperienced squad members are getting the most benefit on the training paddock.
“We’ve got a fair few young players in the squad at the moment and I’d like to help them grow as footballers,” he said.
“Not just in a technical sense but also how they mentally prepare for games and the mental toughness that they need to have on the pitch to help go to the next level.
“One of the things you have to learn as young player is not to go into your shell if you make a mistake or have a bad a game and if I can help with that it will make them better players.”
With the club’s Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 encounter against Perth Glory looming, Carney said that he believes the Jets can book themselves a spot in the final 16.
“There is fair off-season in the A-League so the FFA Cup really keeps you going and gives you something to look forward to,” he said.
“The boys have been really working hard to prepare for the match though having a small squad and a lot of young players makes it a bit tougher for Scott and JP.
“But we’ve still got some senior players here with Nigel Boogaard and Daniel Mullen.
“Lee Ki-je is one of the best left sided players in the league and we’re really lucky to have him here.
“There is still a lot of quality in the team so hopefully we can put on a good show and get into the next round.
“We’ve still got a few more players we need to add to the squad yet but with the way training has been going and with Scott and JP here we should be able to bring in some more quality players and have a good year.”
