The last headline an A-League fan wants to read two weeks before the start of the season is “Marquee star out for season”. But so it was for all Newcastle Jets fans waking up to the news that Jason Culina needs to undergo a second operation on his troublesome knee.
How surprising. A player bought crocked remains crocked.
As was indirectly foretold by Miron Bleiberg and Gold Coast United back in February – “knees of a 50 year old”.
Where the fault lies is irrelevant.
I am not here to analyse the father-son relationship between Branko and Jason or to get into whether or not Ray Baartz really gave the final word on his signing.
He is out, it is sad and it is a big dent in the Jets’ season. Let’s move on.
There will be no-one more down than Jason and the people who brought him to the club. As fans we cannot complain.
We are not the sole contributors to the income of the Jets, like many European fans are, and Jason’s signing would not have happened without Tinkler’s millions.
So let’s look to the positives and discuss why the Jets still have a good chance of making this season’s finals and another peculiar subject, Michael Bridges.
Actually one more negative comment first. Shane Smeltz. That is all.
The team has had a promising pre-season. Out of 10 games they have drawn once and won nine, with a dominant 32 goals for and two against.
While only two have been against A-League sides (1-0 victories over Sydney and Melbourne Heart), it is still a positive that they have dispatched lesser sides emphatically.
The emergence of youngsters James Virgili, Jacob Pepper, Mario Simic and Sam Gallaway bode well.
The central partnership of Topor-Stanley and Brazilian Tiago looks solid, while Regan provides solid back up.
In Byun and Elrich we have wingbacks who have the ability and willingness to get forward, Elrich just needs to get on top of his crossing.
In the midfield I’m guessing it will be Kantarovski and Wehrman in the holding roles with Jesic playing just behind the front striker who will most likely be Griffiths.
Supporting Griffiths should be Abbas and Zadkovich.
However, with the Jets’ squad, we could line-up in so many other ways.
Abbas can play in the hole, Jesic on the left, and Brockie and Chris Payne can also offer options up front. Jobe Wheelhouse, meanwhile, has been promising to fulfill his potential for five years now.
The side is versatile, reasonably talented, reasonably experienced and hopefully motivated and fit.
Ben Kennedy (despite all the haters out there) is a fantastic shot-stopper, absolutely brilliant when full of confidence and hopefully the pressure from Nash pushes the best out of him.
It is not all doom and gloom.
We may not have flash signings like various other A-League sides, but we do have a good squad.
The only option left now since Jason Culina’s loss is to sign up Michael Bridges.
A fantastic bloke, a talented player and although he has his injury problems, he is the best bet.
He was devastated when he was forced into retirement, and I don’t believe the cause was his injury, rather a push from above.
We don’t want to bring in a panic buy two weeks from the start of the season and wait for them to adapt.
Bridgey is ready, he is popular within the squad and his experience could prove crucial in the front third of the pitch.
Culina’s loss is huge, don’t get me wrong, but there is no need to harp on about it.
It has happened, it is over. Let’s move on and make this season one to remember.
Midfielder
Guest
There is a first for everything... You all know I bled Yellow & Navy... and how much the F3 derby means to us.... However from a Mariner hard core rusted on .... I do feel sorry for you .... fall over boy as we refer to him is a lost to the league in general and along with Harry & Bret .... would have made for some real talking points ... TBH I tho Amini played Culina off the park last year and given the player he is it was a good measuring point... for young players and experience he could have passed on to his team mates...
Kasey
Guest
Agreed, As much as I hate the tards, I hope we beat them when they've got a fully fit H in their starting side. I hope he starts lots of games for them and generates lots of positive headlines for football in a city traditionally indifferent to anything that isn't kicking a sherrin around. Areturn of the early HAL glory days when everything was shiny and new would go a long way to sticking two raised fingers in the face of the doom merchants...same goes for Emo in Sin City. As for Newcastle, the loss of Jason is big, but football is a team game and if Box head has assembled a decent squad they should stil make a decent tilt for the finals - lets not forget its top 6 n an 10 team comp - a record just under .500 could very conceivably squeak in. If Junior's op goes well and his rehab is brilliant, could he possibly end up like a new signing just before the finals series? (which begin 30 March 2012 & HAL7GF on 20-22April12) assuming the rest of the squad gets the team there.
Michael
Guest
Michael Bridges, if he could get match fit again REALLY quick, would be the ideal person to play in the hole. His distribution and eye for passes is better than anyone the Jets have at the moment. I'm just not convinced that Ali is the player to replace Jason's position. Zadkovich or Wheelhouse might be better. Hard to know, Ali a very nimble player but he tends to hold on to the ball rather than distribute.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Michael Bridges, hey? Wasn 't he the one with the '50 year old knees'? He only has a training session (or maybe two) under his boots and doesn't look to have done a whole load of training to be ready at that level. No, signing Bridges is laughable, and he would be at risk of being injured himself. As you say, time to move on there. Jason being out is a big blow but at least he has a season to get right, fit and back into the team. Not that I think the Jets have been hanging around waiting to see Jason on the park so they can then plan for the campaign. There is a whole host of young and young-ish players who have the season in front of them to step up. I think a top-6 is achievable, but they are going to have to be consistent and on their game the whole season....and not have injuries accumulate. Interesting then that Middleby has stated that no replacement 'marque' is going to be sort but will instead use local talent. What happens there will be telling...
Matt F
Roar Guru
Any outside chance they had of winning the title is gone and it's difficult, though not impossible, to see them making the finals. Anything can happen however.
Titus
Guest
Touch wood.
apaway
Guest
"Marquee star out for season." If that headline came out of the Melbourne Victory, it would be a disaster for the whole league, not just the club it came from!
TomC
Guest
I'm not going to say outright that the Jets can't make the top six, but boy the odds seem stacked against them. They need some of their youngsters to really stand up and some good luck with injuries. And most importantly, they need to find a path to goal. Its not a good look when an ageing Sasho Petrovski is your leading scorer for the season.