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Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond has called on his senior players, including 2008 A-League player of the year Joel Griffiths, to lift the reigning premiers out of their early-season rut.
The Jets have started their title defence slowly, managing two draws and a loss from their opening three matches and conceding eight goals along the way.
Last year’s grand final winners have been hurt by off-season departures and injuries but van Egmond said it was his senior players’ job to stand up and lead by example in Saturday’s daunting clash with an in-form Sydney FC.
Striker Griffiths, who scored 12 regular-season goals last year, is the Jets’ key man while van Egmond also hoped to have fellow senior players Adam Griffiths (calf) and Jade North (Socceroos duty) available at EnergyAustralia Stadium.
“We need that leadership group to take the game by the scruff of the neck,” van Egmond said today.
“One thing Joel’s good at is the way he pressures the opposition and the way he conducts himself on the football field.
“The intensity with which he goes about his business is infectious in the rest of the team and certainly he’s a catalyst for that.
“With some luck hopefully Jade and Adam will be right for the game and they’re also the ones that can really lead not only by example but by talk as well.
“Some of these younger ones really look for that direction and gravitate to that.
“If we can have that, it will be all the better for our football team.”
The Newcastle coach admitted defence had been a top priority for the Jets since their shock 5-0 loss to Melbourne a fortnight ago, knowing that a repeat performance at the back could be disastrous against a Sydney FC outfit likely to include John Aloisi, Alex Brosque and Steve Corica.
“We’ve got to be on our toes and we’re not going to achieve much if we’re conceding the goals we’re conceding at the moment,” van Egmond said.
Van Egmond said the Jets’ marquee signing Edmundo Zura was improving his fitness but had not decided whether to start the flamboyant Ecuadorian against Sydney.
“He’s working hard, he’s actually got a game tonight with the youth team and we’ll have a look at him,” van Egmond said.
“It’s still a work in progress with Edmundo.
“He’s got some wonderful qualities, we’re just going to need to extract them out and showcase them on the game night.”
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