With the bottom team of this year’s NPL 2 competition to be relegated, there is no doubt the pressure on Murray United has never been greater.
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The Border outfit will be put to the ultimate test just two weeks out from the start of its fourth campaign with a practice match on Friday against the hugely-decorated South Melbourne.
Head coach James Coutts, who will return to playing with United this year after solely focusing on the top job in 2016, admitted there is no hiding from the challenge the club faces this year.
“There’s promotion and relegation and history shows we’ve been down the bottom the last couple of years, so that’s something we need to change,” he said.
“We know there’s few more additions that need to come into the club, whether that’s now or in the May transfer window, but we’re working extremely hard to do that.
“We started the season really well performance wise and the results just didn’t quite show that, so we need to turn those performances into wins because that’s what football at a high level is all about.”
Coutts admitted the club had a big focus on promoting its youth last season and now needs to marry it with interstate and overseas players who can lift it to the level that’s required.
“The experience through the spine of the team is very important this year and we’ve got good experience there,” Coutts said
“When you chuck young players in on their own it can be a bit sink or swim, but when there is experience around to develop them and help build them, for me, that is a better environment for them to fulfil that potential.”
Coutts is in the process of finalising his Australian residency and won’t fall under the league’s Visa restrictions once it’s approved.
“I’ve been here a while now so my residency, hopefully, is going to be coming through in the next couple of weeks.
“I won’t be able to play until that Visa has come in, but that process started way back in June.”
It means the club has room to move for one more overseas signing after the unfortunate news of the departure of Chris Lynch back to the UK, who fractured his cheekbone during his first session with the club last year, for family reasons.
“It’s been really unfortunate for Chris, he’s had a really difficult time since he’s been here and I’ve never known luck like it to be honest,” Coutts said.
“We just wish Chris and his family well and hopefully he comes back here after what he has to deal with back home.”
Jason Ugrinic has joined United from Canberra club Belconnen, but is only on a short-term deal until the mid-season transfer window, while experienced goalkeeper Abdulkerim Koc, is another vital addition.
Coutts revealed another signing will be announced by the club next week and expects a further one or two to commit before the season starts at home on February 14 against Box Hill.