ARTHUR Papas is certain that the Newcastle Jets have the personnel and the game to beat the heavy hitters in the A-League.
They won't get a better chance to prove it than against an out-of-sorts Sydney FC at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
The Jets are fresh from a 1-0 triumph over Adelaide at regular graveyard Coopers Stadium and are at home, where they have won two-from-three.
The win jumped Newcastle to sixth and was their first clean sheet for the season.
"It is not an easy place to get three points," Jets attacker Reno Piscopo said. "We showed great team spirit in those conditions. It showed what we are capable of, and we have to build on that."
The Sky Blues travel north down on form, down on players and down the ladder.
English winger Joe Lolley is suspended after being sent off in the 3-0 loss to Macarthur on Christmas Eve - Sydney's fourth defeat in five games to fall to 10th.
Lolley joins Alex Wilkinson (groin) on the sideline.
Most of Sydney's issues have been in defence, where they have leaked 18 goals.
The likely return of for former Premier League defender Jack Rodwell (groin) could help in that department.
The Jets have a horrendous record overall against Sydney, losing 29 times in 51 encounters. But they have fared much better in times, especially at home. They triumphed 2-0 at McDonald Jones Stadium in March and have suffered just one defeat - 2-1 in January 2020 - in the past five clashes.
"Sydney are a good team and play good football, but so do we," Piscopo said. "We are at home and have an advantage. It is our chance to get on top of them. We have to play our game and stick to our game plan. We will get three points if we do what we have to do."
Papas has been instilling the importance of self belief into his troops. The desperation and commitment in defence against Adelaide should add to that confidence.
"They just need to keep believing in themselves. It is really simple,"Papas said after the Adelaide win. "Just believe in yourself. Don't get caught up in reading crap that gets said, don't worry about the ladder, just worry about putting in your best performance every day and attacking the day."
"That is my philosophy. I wake up every day and try to be the best I can be. I try to impart that on the playing group."
Piscopo, 25, made a successful return to the starting side against Adelaide, after being sidelined for nearly a month with a calf issue.
He turned the ball over a few times but grew into the game and was threat in the final third.
"He just needed to get the rhythm of the game," Papas said. "When you haven't played, it is the rhythm you don't have.
"As the game wore on, he got frustrated because he could have scored two goals, but he caused them a lot of problems on that [left] side.
"He comes off the field [after 70 minutes] and will be good to go again, which is the main thing."
