The Newcastle Jets have sacked coach Gary van Egmond following their heavy A-League defeat to bottom-placed Melbourne Heart.
The club announced this morning via its Twitter account that the Jets and van Egmond have agreed a “mutual termination” of his contract as head coach effective immediately.
Jets youth league coach and former Socceroo striker Clayton Zane is tipped to be handed the job in a caretaker capacity for the rest of the season.
Speculation about van Egmond’s future had been mounting for months but it was believed the club would wait until the end of the season when his current contract expires before replacing him.
But the team’s poor recent form appears to have been a catalyst with the Jets’ 3-1 loss to bottom-placed Heart on Friday night seen as the final straw.
Newcastle remain in finals contention just a point outside the top six, but have been on the slide for several weeks.
The Jets have won just one of their past six games and have only one competition point to show from their past four encounters.
This decision ends van Egmond’s second stint at the club having led them to the championship with a grand-final win over Central Coast in the 2007/08 season, his second campaign in charge.
After quitting the club in 2009 to take up a coaching appointment at the Australian Institute of Sport, van Egmond returned just prior to the start of the 2011/12 season after the Jets sacked then coach Branko Culina.
But Newcastle have failed to secure a finals berth since.
Club management is expected to hold a media conference later on Monday.
Bigguss Dickuss Fwom Wome
Guest
Can someone please tell me why Craig Deans is still one of the assistant coaches? Surely he must go as well given that he was the trusted lieutenant to the last 5 (?) sacked jets coaches!!!
Panto
Guest
This made me literally laugh out loud attracting unwanted attention from other corners of my office! Brilliant!
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
I hope his replacement can so better. I heard it was mainly to do with man management?
fadida
Guest
A couple of months too late. Tactically hopeless. Unable to sort out a multitude of issues; Position of fullbacks when attacking meant no overlaps, no 2v 1's No cohesion with front 3, no interchanging positions, no rotations, the 9 hopelessly isolated because of the aforementioned. Midfield not getting beyond the forwards or even close enough to support, as shown by them having 0 goals between them? Destroying the confidence of Goodwin, Brown Poor team selection, Pepper at fullback gave ten nothing going forward. Galloway is unbalanced on the left. Solution, Galloway right, Goodwin left Failure to adjust to opponents tactics. Once behind they never look like coming back I personally think the support staff need to go as well for failing to address obvious tactical problems. The squad are actually ok. A Mulvey, Postecoglu would have them humming. Good timing from the board. The season was heading into free fall
Sydneysider
Guest
And what exactly is Sydney FC waiting for to show Farina the back door....the total eclipse of the sun???
TK
Guest
who'd want to be a coach in the A league? talk about short term career option. I personally think that for many teams in the A league any of them could beat one another on any given day. no suprise to me that Heart got a win now that they have a few of their key players back.
AZ_RBB
Guest
So that only leaves Mulvey, Popovic and Farina from last season. Farina seems to be on his last legs as well. What a strange season!
Griffo
Roar Guru
'Clacka' has made no secret of his desire to coach in the A-League. Whether he turns around the sides fortunes and gets a full time gig remains to be seen. The club needs experience and success in a coach going forwards. Whether the club decision makers have the experience to get the right person also remains to be seen.