04 Oct Football Nation Season Preview: Newcastle Jets
Overview:
It was another one of those seasons for the Newcastle Jets, with the Hunter Valley team again finishing at the bottom for the second time in three seasons.
The Jets only managed 5 victories over the course of the season, and it saw Mark Jones get the sack. The Jets have turned to veteran Scot Ernie Merrick to rejuvenate this team, after he quit 9 rounds into last season from his post as Wellington Phoenix coach.
So far this off-season, Merrick has picked up an abundance of experience which has been lacking from the Jets over the last few seasons.
Ins and Outs:
INS: Kosta Petratos, Daniel Georgievski, Mario Shabow, Roy O’ Donovan, Glen Moss, Dimitri Petratos, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Jake Adelson and Ronald Vargas
OUTS: Ben Kennedy, Joel Allwright, Daniel Mullen, Andrew Hoole, Mateo Poljak, Labinot Haliti, Harry Sawyer, Ma Leilel, Morten Nordstrand, Tomislav Arcaba, Kristian Brymora and Aleksandr Kokko
The biggest signing for Newcastle this off-season has been the signing of Venezuelan international, and marquee striker Ronald Vargas. The 30-Year-Old marquee striker will look to make a name for himself at the Jets, after a falling out with management at AEK Athens.
The jets have bolstered experience in the back with Nikolai Topor-Stanley heading back to the Jets after stints at the Wanderers, and in the UAE Pro-League. Topor-Stanley is highly regarded as one of the best Centre Backs to come out of Australia, and was influential in the Jets side when they made the semis in the 2009-10 season.
Newcastle signed young attacking midfielder Dimitri Petratos after his 4-year stint at the Brisbane Roar, and most recently at Korean club Ulsan Hyundai.
Current Joe Marston medallist and former Melbourne Victory full back Daniel Georgievski also signed with the Jets, after 67 games over 3 seasons for Victory.
Experienced Irish striker Roy O’ Donovan heads up from the Central Coast to the Hunter Valley to give some assistance up forward, which is one thing the Jets lacked in season 2016/17.
Morten Nordstrand and Andrew Hoole have departed the club after being part of the clubs darkest time over the last few years, while striker Aleksandr Kokko has joined Hong Kong club Eastern.
Prediction:
On paper Newcastle have an imposing team, and for the first time in nearly a decade they have a team that could take a few scalps in season 13 of the A-League.
Ronald Vargas will be the X-Factor in a team that didn’t score much last season, with the Jets only scoring 28 goals from 27 matches. Vargas has scored 14 goals in 50 appearances for AEK Athens, and is a prime number 10 who has speed to run on the right flank as well.
The back half of the pitch for Newcastle looks imposing with Topor-Stanley and Boogard looking to link up in defence, and with Glen Moss and Daniel Georgievski down back should prove dividends for a team that let through 53 goals.
Ernie Merrick has his work cut out, but lack of experience and firing power up forward has been the Achilles heel for the Jets last season, and I expect them to begin to rebuild respect and trust back into the Hunter Valley.
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