Can the Newcastle Jets recover from a horror 2014-15 A-League campaign and banish memories of the wooden spoon they collected at season’s end?
Offseason Transfers
The end of last season and the demise of the Tinkler backed Newcastle Jets has allowed for the ushering in of a new era. Coach Phil Stubbins has been replaced with former Fulham assistant Scott Miller, who comes on the recommendation of none the than Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou.
Miller has set about changing the Jets squad, with no fewer than 10 changes to last season’s edition. Ex-Wanderers duo Labinot Haliti and Mateo Poljak have arrived to add some steel and work rate to a side that conceded a league worst of 55 goals last season. Former Dutch Eredivisie man Leonardo will be tasked with adding the creativity that was missing last season and supplying new Serbian target man Milos Trifunovic. The Serb has a career strike rate of a goal about every 3 games and he will be crucial in determining just how far the Jets can go this season.
Nigel Boogaard comes in from Adelaide and will partner last year’s mid-season recruit Daniel Mullen in the heart of defence. Ex-Jets striker and former Melbourne City man Jason Hoffman returns to his hometown in the new role of right back. Youngsters Themba Muata-Marlow, Lachlan Jackson, Cameron Watson and Andy Brennan complete the new arrivals.
Last Season
Newcastle endured a nightmare campaign last term in which they won only 3 of their 27 matches in the League. After an embarrassing 7-0 loss to Adelaide midway through last season a player coup intending for the departure of Phil Stubbins instead led to chaos. Club owner Tinkler instead sensationally sacked players Kew Jaliens, Joel Griffiths, Billy Celeski, Adrian Madaschi and David Carney. Stubbins was left with a threadbare squad of a few foreign imports and local youth team products to play out the season.
To his, and then assistant coach Mark Jones credit, some of the Jets finer performances of the season followed. The new mantra of possession based football and playing out from the back seemed to revitalise the side. This culminated in their finest performance of the season, a 1-0 win over eventual champions Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park. Newcastle showed more energy and conviction going forward and were more secure at the back, especially with the arrivals of Lee Ki-Je and Enver Alivodic. Unfortunately for Jets fans, the damage had already been done and the club slumped to its second wooden spoon.
Manager
Not a lot is known about the new man at the helm, 34 year old former Fulham fitness coach Scott Miller. From listening to his press conferences in the pre-season, it can be safely assumed that the Jets will be much tougher mentally and more difficult to break down.
In pre-season Miller has opted for a 4-2-3-1 shape, playing quick, incisive football. Mateo Poljak and Cameron Watson have been preferred as the screening men in midfield. They have been tasked with quickly supplying the ball out to the likes of Enver Alivodic and David Carney. The pair’s technical gifts and speed of thought have seen them cut inside from their respective flanks and link promisingly. Both fullbacks, Lee Ki-Je and Jason Hoffman have been given free rein to bomb forward and supply the pace and overlap in wide areas. Their quality of delivery for new front man Milos Trifunovic will be crucial.
Strengths
Nigel Boogaard and Daniel Mullen should ensure that the Jets will be very capable at the back. They could become one of the better centre-half pairings in club history. Poljak is also a very strong and versatile holding midfielder. It was a surprise to see him let go by the Wanderers. David Carney has a point to prove after all the dramas of last season and is primed to remind everyone just what he can do.
Weaknesses
The Jets look a little light up top. If new man Trifunovic cannot bang in his fair share of goals then nobody is quite sure where the goals will come from. Haliti can score on the odd occasion but he has never been a prolific marksman. Young Andy Brennan is making the jump from the Victorian Premier League with South Melbourne to the A-League and may need a little time to acclimatise to his new surroundings. If youth team graduates Brandon Lundy and Radovan Pavicevic do not have break out seasons, Newcastle may not have enough goals in them to trouble the better outfits.
Key Player
Leonardo is the man the Jets will look for to provide some spark and X-factor. The Brazilian comes to Australia with a glittering CV, having played for clubs the ilk of Feyenoord and Ajax in Holland. He is all left foot and is just as adept setting up his teammates as he is with his skill and trickery. While predominantly a winger, the Jets will look to use him as a No. 10, allowing him flexibility to pop up all over the pitch and hurt the opposition. His ability to apply his creativity successfully will go a long way to determining where the Jets end up come finals time.
Best XI
(4-2-3-1): Birighitti (GK); Ki-Je, Mullen, Boogaard, Hoffman; Poljak, Watson; Carney, Leonardo, Alivodic; Trifunovic.
Prediction
Just how quickly this team gels will determine how far they can go this season. There has been a large turnover in personnel and it is likely Miller’s men will not hit full stride straight away. Leonardo only arrived last month and Trifunovic has only just jetted in.
Most pundits are predicting doom and gloom for the Novocastrians but this team is far more solid and reliable than most think. Miller will have his men far more disciplined and equipped than his predecessor Stubbins. If his new forwards link effectively and provide the goals, a push for the top 6 seems a realistic ambition.
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