A-League: Jets coach Arthur Papas prepared to play long game in pre-season

COVID-19 restrictions, quarantine periods and a lack of friendlies against opposition A-League teams have severely altered the pre-season.

The Jets will take on APIA Leichhardt in a trial in Sydney on Saturday. The friendly is their fourth outside of intraclub games and and follows a 5-0 loss to Sydney in a modified hit out played over three 45-minute periods.

They meet Macarthur on Friday night and Western United in an FFA Cup qualifier on November 13. Then it's the Mariners at home on November 21.

"I have been consistently changing players over to give them more experience," Papas said. "For me, it is important that every player in the squad understands exactly how we want to play. That is what pre-seasons are about.

"Whoever gets picked in round one will be the team who deserves to get picked. The players on the bench or who aren't in the team are just as important."

Under normal circumstances, Papas would prefer a dress rehearsal before round one.

"It we look at the way pre-season has evolved, that is not a luxury we have got," he said. "If we were able to accumulate 10 to 12 matches, including seven or eight against A-League teams, you would really understand things a bit more.

"The only way you can assess them is in matches against different opponents, playing different systems, teams that have been together, teams that have a different age profile ... then you see how they handle situations. How they handle setbacks, adversity, going a goal down ... all these things that you need to learn about teams and individuals, you only learn them through experience.

"Unfortunately, we will find it out a different way. We will still find out, and we will still have the best group, the most prepared physically to be ready for whatever challenges come forward at us."

Spanish midfielder Mario Arques, the latest of the foreign arrivals, is unlikely to play against APIA and striker Beka Mikeltadze was on light duties at training on Friday.

"Mario hasn't progressed the way we would have liked as the week has gone on," Papas said. "We are not the only club who has this problem. All up, we have had eight players go through quarantine. Everyone has had one issue or another. We are getting better at understanding that.

READ MORE: SPANIARD TO ADD NEW ELEMENT TO MIDFIELD

READ MORE: MORE GAMES THE ANSWER FOR JETS

READ MORE: JETS PRIMED FOR PRE-SEASON TEST

READ MORE: SOUTH SUDAN EXPERIENCE HAS YUEL HUNGRY FOR MORE

"It has been challenging to get everyone at the same level at the same time. We began training three and a half months ago but some players only arrived three weeks ago. To expect them to all be at the same level is unrealistic. We are not exactly there yet, but we are getting close.

"It has not been a normal pre-season in terms of getting players in the country, in terms of not playing matches, but we won't make any excuses. We will be ready and the boys will be ready."

Papas focuses on performance rather than results in the pre-season and was encouraged by aspects of the Sydney clash.

"I saw some real positives in the way we moved the ball, the way we were trying to penetrate," he said. "We didn't get enough outcomes out of some good situations that we found ourselves in.

"You can get completely absorbed in a result, which I think is unrealistic at this stage of the season. "I have had teams who have won every game in pre-season and lost the first round. Then you are shaking your head at times with what is happening in pre-season, and you start and have a great run.

"I try not to base it purely on the idea of a result. I want to judge it on performances and certain things that we are looking for. When we achieve certain outcomes with our football, ultimately we will be a lot closer to being successful in results as we progress.

"As long as we behave like that every day, it will take us down the road we want to go."

Asked what he wanted to get out of the APIA game, Papas said: "The way we want to play our football is important. Are we able to dominate with the ball? When we dominate are we creating enough chances? What are we like when we haven't got the ball? Are we reducing the number of chances they are creating? How hard are we working? Fundamentally it is as simple as that."

IN THE NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: