The Newcastle Jets had the worst attack in the A-League last season, scoring just 30 goals in 26 games.
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New striker Apostolos Stamatalopoulos is confident that won't be the case in 2023-24 - and pre-season statistics back him up.
In eight games, including the Australia Cup, the Jets have netted 17 goals at an average of 2.12 per game - nearly double last season's output.
New coach Rob Stanton has brought in a new-look front third and has changed formation to a 4-4-2.
Beka Mikeltadze, the golden boot for the last two seasons with 19 goals in total, departed to Korea and Jaushua Sotirio left for India.
Stamataloupolos returned after two seasons in Greece and has been partnered up front by Trent Buhagiar.
Both have been regular goal-scorers in the pre-season.
We want to scare teams.
- APOSTOLOS STAMATALOPOULOS
![Striker Apostolos Stamatalopoulos scored a double in a 2-all draw with Wellington on Sunday. Picture by Jonathan Carroll Striker Apostolos Stamatalopoulos scored a double in a 2-all draw with Wellington on Sunday. Picture by Jonathan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AVQVfAtGgzehhK8J9F6uCU/e0474464-7d92-4d3b-9b1a-e28f8e5b7056.jpg/r452_226_3393_2051_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Trent and I have an interesting partnership," said Stamatelopoulos, who scored a brace in the 2-all draw with Wellington last Sunday. "We have different playing styles and complement each other. I like to get the ball to feet. He is very fast and gets in behind. We move the defence a lot and create space for each other.
"If I drop in and the centreback follows me, there is heaps of space for him to get in behind and vice versa. If he makes a run in behind, there is space for me to get the ball. We free each other up a lot.
"Archie [Goodwin] is coming back and he is someone who likes to get in behind as well. All the players we have in the front third are very different and complement each other.
"We are creating a lot of chances. We have scored 2.12 goals against A-League opposition in pre-season. Hopefully, we can take that into the season proper."
Apart from Stamatalopoulos and Buhagiar, emerging talents Lachy Bayliss and Clayton Taylor have added a different dimension to the attack.
"We want to scare teams," Stamatalopoulos said. "We want to go forward quickly. We want to score a lot of goals.
"The way we play, the strikers are not the only ones scoring goals.
"We have inverted 10s who can come inside. If we are getting marked tightly, one of them will be free. There will always be option for us to score."
The Jets wrap-up preparations for the season with a friendly against Western Sydney in Maitland on Friday.
They kick off their campaign away to Perth Glory on October 22.
"I think we have been ready for the last week," Stamatalopoulos said. 'We have gelled really well together and have taken the boss' messages on board. It will be a good test against Western Sydney on Friday. We are treating it as round one."
Tom Aquilina plans to use the hit-out to press his claims for a starting berth in round one.
It is the right back's third game back from a serious hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, Brandon O'Neill and Cassidy Davis were confirmed as captains for the men and women's teams at the Jets' season launch on Wednesday night.