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Newcastle Jets coach Ernie Merrick has dismissed the notion of Friday’s home grand final rematch with Melbourne Victory as a revenge clash and believes finishing third on the A-League ladder would be good for his club.
Victory defeated the Jets 1-0 in last season’s grand final in Newcastle.
Neither side has made a great start this season with the Jets in eighth position on one point and Victory bottom with no points.
“Hopefully it will be a more open game than the last two which really suits up, but we’re pretty keen to perform against Victory,” Merrick said.
“It’s not a revenge game, it’s about taking three points in every match and getting into the finals and taking it from there, but I’m not big on this emotional revenge stuff.
“Any players who need any motivation because of a previous match then I feel as though they are not going to play their best football.”
Newcastle finished second on the ladder last season and had the first week off the finals off, but Merrick suggested coming third this time might actually be more beneficial.
‘Personally, I’d love to finish third,” Merrick said.
“If you finish third you get a home final, you don’t have to have a weekend off and lose all your momentum and you can go all the way through.
‘I think the way the league is set up third would be a good position for us.
“The top two teams, all they get is a weekend off and I don’t always think that’s a good thing.”
Merrick said defender John Koutroumbis and attacker Joseph Champness were both making good progress.
Koutroumbis has resumed training after undergoing surgery following a diagnosis of stage 1 thyroid cancer, while Champnness is on his way back from a foot fracture he suffered in the pre-season.
“Johnny is recovering really well and the bone in Joey’s foot has fully healed now,” Merrick said.
“It’s about getting really fit but making sure that we don’t push either of them too hard.
“It’s progressive but they are well on the way to recovery.”
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