The Jets failed to qualify for the finals for the sixth consecutive season after finishing 2015-16 in eighth position. Newcastle look revitalised under coach Scott Miller, however, convincingly failed to reach the top six.
Despite impressive victories against Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and the Wellington Phoenix, they were also heavily defeated by a Diego Castro-inspired Perth Glory. Yet it a was huge comparison to the debacle that followed them in 2014-15 where they finished bottom, with just three wins and 55 goals conceded. Along with the new coach, 13 new players came into the side and the troubles from last season went out the door.
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The story
After finishing in 10th place the campaign prior the Jets, filled with a new coach and a bunch of new players, started 2015-16 with a lot of promise. They missed a chance to go to top position in round five, but then it all went downhill from there. A 10 match winless run during the middle of the season was never recovered from, floundering in the lower part of the table for the rest of the season. A brief unbeaten run in February increased hope of a top six finish. but a tough run home saw them with little chance of making the finals, a draw against Victory and a win against the Mariners were the only points they secured.
Key player
It says a lot about a team whose best player is a goalkeeper, but it also says that Mark Birighitti is a quality shot-stopper. The 25-year-old was a force between the sticks for the Jets, making 98 saves over the campaign. Birighitti’s awareness, disposal, and reflexes were on display on a weekly basis, keeping Newcastle competitive in a majority of their matches. He also showed his determination and bravery when he was kicked in the head contesting Shane Smeltz for a ball in round two.
Milos Trifunovic contributed with nine goals, while Morten Nordstrand and Steven Ugarkovic made Newcastle a stronger outfit when they were brought over in January. Nigel Boogaard and Daniel Mullen were also solid combatants at the back for Scott Miller’s men, but a combined six red cards between them made this less effective.
Manager
When Scott Miller was announced the new head coach of the Newcastle Jets and replaced Phil Stubbins, he became the youngest manager in A-League history. He brought in established players Mateo Poljak and Jason Hoffman and had plenty of potential at his disposal, but the difference in talent level between them and other A-League sides was evident on several occasions. To his credit he was able to mix it with the more experienced managers tactically and once he becomes more seasoned, he can bring out a more competitive Newcastle Jets outfit.
Off-season recruitment
To do that he will need to bring in more experienced and more talented players. The departures of Leonardo, Lee Ki-je, and Milos Trifunovic will give him room to sign a couple of good Visa players to strengthen the side. It was obvious they lacked a clinical and proficient forward like they had in Adam Taggart this season, so it will be worth investing in one for 2016-17.
Poljak and Ugarkovic looked to be a strong pairing, while the re-signing of Ben Kantarovski shows that the midfield needs to be strengthened. A player who could rival the aforementioned names in the middle of the park will strongly benefit the side who were bullied at times this season.
Grade – C
Not as bad as the last time around, but still not good enough to reach the top six again. They proved they could be beat the top teams in the competition, but could lose convincingly to them too.
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