Jets misfiring on all engines

Roar Pro

By Jesse Fink, 23 Jan 2009 Jesse Fink is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: Adam Griffiths, Asian Champions League, Champions League, football, Gary van Egmond, Jets, Joel Griffiths, Newcastle Jets, Nick Carle, Stuart Musialik

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It’s hard to imagine how much more parlous a position the Newcastle Jets could be in, now with high performance manager Ian Crook being appointed the new first-team coach at Norwich City in England and Joel Griffiths, the club’s marquee player and “jewel in the crown”, declaring publicly that he’s interested in joining his brother Ryan at Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan.

Club owner Con Constantine, fresh from threatening to throw Squadron members off the balcony of his box at EnergyAustralia Stadium, has said Griffiths is not for sale, while Griffiths has rejoindered by suggesting if Constantine doesn’t want to let him go, “we might have to renegotiate my contract”.

Just when it was being hoped last weekend’s win over Perth was the start of something positive for the beleaguered Jets, the portents are getting worse, and they come at the worst possible time: just weeks away from commencing their maiden Asian Champions League campaign.

Already this season the Jets have lost Edmundo Zura, Jade North, Adam Griffiths and James Holland, with Mark Milligan expected to follow. This on top of losing Stuart Musialik, Andrew Durante, Tim Brown, Milton Rodriguez, Vaughan Coveny and Nick Carle in previous seasons.

It would be surprising if the spirits of those players who remain has been unaffected by this disruption – or by coach Gary van Egmond’s eccentric handling of players such as Kaz Patafta, Jesse Pinto and Jesper Hakansson.

Losing Griffiths would be a mortal blow to the Jets, but the greatest damage may be done by the departure of Crook.

There have been whisperings around the traps that Constantine wanted Crook to mastermind the Jets’ ACL campaign, that he was a better identifier of young talent than the coach under him, and Van Egmond himself has said publicly that Crook, with his Japanese experience, was “going to be a huge well of information for us” in Asia.

So now what?

The Jets are looking shot to bits already for the ACL – and they haven’t even kicked a ball in anger.

The only positives from what has been one of the worst seasons of any club in A-League history has been the emergence of Tarek Elrich and Matthew Thompson as Socceroos, the rise of Ben Kantarovski, and the imminent arrival of Socceroos defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley from Perth Glory.

Pretty slim pickings for a club that was the toast of the A-League in seasons two and three. Van Egmond’s reputation has taken a tumble and the previously untouchable Constantine himself is looking more and more vulnerable, with calls from some quarters for him to sell the club.

With Crook now gone and his position vacant, what the Jets need most urgently is someone who can quickly turn their fortunes around and make a decent fist of their shot at glory in the ACL.

I’ve made my views known recently on that score on The World Game and if you can think of a better idea, I’d love to hear it.

As I’m sure Con Constantine would.

His empire is crumbling before his eyes and something has to be done – and now – to stop it.

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The Crowd Says (31) | Page 1 of Comments

LeftArmSpinner said | January 23rd 2009 @ 7:04am | Report comment

Time for investment. Get the youngun’s in to the squad and blood them ASAP.

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The Bear said | January 23rd 2009 @ 7:12am | Report comment

If there was a time for a bargain, and an easy sell, now would be it. Maybe the Russian in Sydney has an interested Baltic friend? Or perhaps Clive Palmer has put the word out there to his NSW aeronautical mates???

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StiflersMom said | January 23rd 2009 @ 7:41am | Report comment

Still a week to go until the Transfer window closes, a week is a long time in football(who said that?), Joel in he’s last interview looked and sounded like someone who didn’t what to be there yet it was only months ago he was demanding a long term contract and wanted to finish he’s career at the Jets. I don’t believe losing has made an unhappy camp, more so I think the unhappy camp caused the team to lose.

FFA should impose sanctions on con for his behavior, and to avoid A-League embarrassment at the ACL the FFA need to act NOW. Someone needs to take control of the Jets and Con needs to go.

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Dickroo said | January 23rd 2009 @ 8:13am | Report comment

Jets needs to change ownership like Sydney FC did to have a new start.

Otherwise, dare I say, they will be humiliated in the ACL, which will not help the image of A-League and Australian football after the Reds lifted it to such a dazzling hight.

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Cpaaa said | January 23rd 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment

A crumbling empire indeed and the reaction of “the Con” towards the clubs most loyal is the signs of a desperate man and desperate club. NCJU will be sleep walking through the ACL and will come home with nothing except for a couple of extra stamps on the passport. “the Con”, Van Egg or Griffths can not save the jets from asian disaster and wooden spooners again next year….

Future forecast Con-demed

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Mick of Newie said | January 23rd 2009 @ 8:25am | Report comment

I have rationalised this saga by concluding 2006-7 and 2007-8 were the golden years for Newcastle football. This year has simply been reverting to normal transmission, this stuff has been going on for 30 years.

Con must carry on, he should stick with GVE and Mark Jones, he should focus on attracting young Australian players and have low expectations of imports. As for the loss of Crook we are one week from the end of the transfer window and he has produced not a single new signing. Good luck back in Norwich but not the greatest loss to the Jets. GVE might be sleeping easier though.

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Cpaaa said | January 23rd 2009 @ 8:36am | Report comment

The Jets have been crash landing since the start of the season. This should be a learning curve for the FFA and ACL organizers for future seasons. How can the ACL be a respectable competition when the representative from australia finishes DEAD LAST.

How about Manchester United missing the European champions League and instead have West Brom representing England ??

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Koala Bear said | January 23rd 2009 @ 9:00am | Report comment

Mick of Newie,
An absolute shame .. I hope it does not end up as a Greek Tragedy .. Cool heads are need now and a meeting to sort out who wants to stay and who wants to move on .. David Mitchell, Perth Glory, drew a line in the sand and demanded loyalty and commitment or push off ..

I am disappointed with Crooke’s attitude and he had left SFC in similar circumstances .. I understand you need to take your opportunities when they are presented, but so soon after accepting a return to the Jets leaves you thinking that this man has no respect for his employer and never did ..

I saw an interview on TWG outlining his plans to produce and nurturer the local talent for the club over an eight year program ha ha, what an impostor, first sniff of greener pastures and off he goes.. I am a bit embarrassed that I referred to him Aussie Ian Crooke .. I hope Con regroups and pulls the club through this mess; we need a strong Newcastle club in the HAL…

~~~~~~~~~
KB

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Cpaaa said | January 23rd 2009 @ 9:31am | Report comment

kb-”I hope Con regroups and pulls the club through this mess”

how much faith do you have in a man that threatens a squadron supporter by throwing him off a building. this lad is the one turning up every match with flags and banners drinking and eating from the kiosk and buying into merchandise. hes singing his heart out for the jets and not heard. turn a flag upside down in protest to say “something is wrong with our club” he gets threatened. the squad is not being heard, and “the Con” has to start listening.
if i were a jets fan i would still turn up to match day, i would wear black, no flags, no booze, and no singing. Cons threat was on an individual, it may as well have been on the entire squadron.
an apology from “the Con” is a good start, to the lad with balls and to the entire Squadron.

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Pippinu said | January 23rd 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment

It’s simply amazing. GVE was being heralded as the next NT coach only 8 months ago.

Kantarovski is pretty amazing – but you can’t build a club around a 17 year old kid – unless you have the patience for a 5-10 year rebuilding program! (and let’s be honest, absolutely no one has that sort of patience, much less an A-League club)

The situation with Con and the Jets helps explain why I’m not a big fan of privately owned clubs. I know I’m biased by being a Melbourne person. The then VFL flirted with private owndership in the mid to late 80s – it was an unmitigated disaster – never again for them.

People are telling Con to invest more of his private money. But if someone has lost millions already – why on Earth would he want to throw in milllions more? He might be silly, but he’s not that silly!

This is where I struggle a bit with the private ownership model in Australia. The Victory, the best supported club by a country mile, can squeeze a small profit in an exceptional year – otherwise it too is turning a loss – why would anyone want to put their hard-earned into ventures that are loss-making? Unless you’re Clive Palmer, and can afford to lost a billion dollars – why on Earth would anyone do it?

Take note all GCU supporters.

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