Six weeks ago, for my Half-Time Orange column at The World Game, I commended Ljubo Milicevic and the Newcastle Jets for coming together.
A club in strife had itself a rock around which it could build its defence for the Asian Champions League campaign.
A player in strife had a new club around which he could resurrect his stalled career.
“Congratulations to Milicevic on his new challenge and congratulations to Newcastle for having the courage to take him on. Both will be amply rewarded for their fortitude,” I huffed.
So much for that. It all appears to have fallen in a sorry heap, Milicevic and Jets coach Gary van Egmond coming to verbal blows in a training-ground spat and the player purportedly prepared to leave the club.
All Jets CEO John Tsatsimas will say on the matter is: “I’m aware there was an exchange.”
Yet Newcastle Herald scribe James Gardiner, who covers the Jets for the paper and attends many of the club’s training sessions, has coloured in some of the sketchy details, hinting in his column that Milicevic told his manager to “fuck off”.
Gardiner wrote a column on Wednesday that suggested Milicevic had far from tamed his notoriously prickly personality in moving to the Hunter; in fact he’d gotten worse.
“[I’ve] witnessed several heated exchanges between the former Melbourne Victory centre-back and teammates, coaching staff and even administrative staff,” he wrote. “Lauded for his leadership qualities, Milicevic has always been a man of strong opinions and is rarely afraid to express them. One player, who did not want to be named, admitted that Milicevic’s constant haranguing of teammates was ‘doing our heads in’.
The rift in the ranks couldn’t come at a worse time for the Jets, with goalkeeper Ante Covic leaving the club last week for Swedish side Elfsborg and spraying club owner Con Constantine on his way out, and young defender Ben Kantarovski in line for a stunning transfer to Bayern Munich. The club’s next two Asian Champions League matches are home-and-away against Japanese club Nagoya Grampus, their toughest group opponent, on April 7 and 22.
You might have your own ideas on Gary van Egmond’s performance as a manager over the past six months, on and off the pitch, but Dutchy is, for the time being at least, the boss of the Newcastle Jets and that’s that.
No room for ambiguity here.
So if the insinuation made by Gardiner is correct that Milicevic told him to “fuck off” then, short of a full apology, the player’s position at the club is likely untenable and casts a very dark cloud over his future career as a professional footballer – at least in Australia.
Who would take him on now after having such spectacular public bust-ups at two A-League clubs in a row?
What’s worse in the Jets’ case, though, over Milicevic’s problems at Victory is that he came to the club promising a clean slate and extolling the qualities of the side under Van Egmond.
“I’m excited about being back to club football and in particular the Newcastle Jets because under Gary van Egmond it’s the style of football I like to play,” he said at the time.
“They like to play possession football from the back and it suits the systems I’ve played overseas. I’m looking forward to going to a club where I’m needed and wanted and it will be a great challenge to go straight into Asian Champions League.”
A great challenge indeed. One that at this stage Milicevic appears to have failed to meet.
joeb
Guest
Personally i still think Ljubo is deserving of another chance, an olive branch extended to him by the club. Is this fallout with the coach partly due to his outspoken comments re Johns and the Sharks on SBS News sport's segment the other night? It would seem so imho.
Tom
Guest
No surprises here. It was clear that Milicevic wasn't prepared to take any of the responsibilty for the falling out at Melbourne. Shouldn't be surprised that the same issues would appear at any other club.
Brian Munich
Guest
I'm not sure GVE can look back on the season and be particularly proud of the way he's carried himself. However, none of us are privy to the exact nature of the exchange(s) with Ljubo. Every club has players who are higher maintenance, but with lightning having struck twice, Ljubo's card is now heavily marked, at least in an A-league environment. I hope for his sake he is receiving some good advice, and if that means caring for his mental state then clearly that's a high priority.
Manfred the Milko
Guest
Achtung - What is wrong with mental players ? Look at Soper - always at loggerheads with board, had more clubs than paris Hilton Reda and the Melita bomb scare Agostino (Arnie called him a "headcase" and he was blacklisted from the Socceroos ... as for Ljubo .... he is now unwanted everywhere he goes. The fact that GvE and CC signed him was indicative of their desperation, and their lack of knowledge of the football market. He's (Ljubo) about as popular on the football field as Con is off it. Newcastle are a club in major crisis ... couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch.
Midfielder
Guest
Con brought him in or GVE brought him in.... very foolish without a medical clearence. I feel for him he does have some mental health issues and a history of the same ... so why Newie signed without a medical clearance is strange.... Further I hope he can get some help and one day recover as best he can.
midfield general
Guest
Obviously some mental health issue going on....has he always been this way? Oh well, Jets have Costanzo to step in at CB. Is GVE ready for a nervous breakdown? He should leave Newcastle before he completely jeopardises a promising coaching career. It's a shame because they have a seemingly endless supply of good young players from this area, and combined with shrewed management they can be a dominant force.
StiflersMom
Guest
It's obvious now he can no longer blame clubs, management, coaches, staff or "Team mates" truly needs a mirror to take a good hard look at himself, and not the one he does his hair in before he visits the Gay night clubs he himself admits to spending the last 12 months at. When can someone finally reach the maturity to realise he is at fault and approach the very one he spat on and apologise. Someone may yet grab his hand and pull him from the pit but he must first raise his hand. Go back and apologise Ljubo, once you overcome your ego it will become easier.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Yeh - I too had thought he deserved another crack at it - no more - he is completely untouchable now in terms of professional football - and most probably he needs some sort of help.
Dave
Guest
This guy is fast running out of others to blame...his reputation in this country at least must now be shot?
Cpaaa
Guest
Milicevic had us all fooled. Hiddink did not select him for Germany and Milicevics response was "im good enough, good luck to the guys but i wont be watching" we felt sorry for him at MV, perhaps it was not his club. we felt sorry for him about the demons that he had to conquer within. SBS supported the troubled footballer, The Fink dedicated a story about 2nd chances for Lj and Newcastle were the saviors to his cries....pwwf this cat makes llyeton hewitt look like a princess,YOU BLEW IT MAN!