Newcastle Jetting towards oblivion

As Alan Milliner put the whistle to his lips for the final time on Friday night, occupants of Hunter Stadium let out raucous boos.

Even though the sounds were coming through the computer speakers, it was a disapproving din I’ve never heard in Newcastle before, at least not with so much vigour.

The town’s football team, the Newcastle Jets, had just been dismantled with deft precision by a Brisbane Roar side that had lost four on the trot.

But it wasn’t the 4-0 score line that was most damning for Jets fans, it was the complete lack of commitment and interest exerted on the pitch from their players.

The display was the most lacklustre I’ve seen in 10 years from the boys in red and blue (previously faded gold), and the body language on show during and after the match was astonishing.

There is something amiss at the club and it doesn’t look like improving. While the Jets haven’t been impressive by any stretch this season, there have been slight glimpses of a shining light.

Yet those positives were all but extinguished after an insipid display that is hard to put into words.

Lifeless is probably the best descriptor, and clueless can be fittingly attached to coach Phil Stubbins’ tactics.

Four centre backs and three defensive midfielders are not going to get you a result against a free-flowing Roar side, who possess dangerous weapons on the wings.

Worse is to play your captain and best player out of his comfort zone in a crucial position.

How Stubbins thought it a good idea to push Kew Jaliens to right back is baffling. That was where the first goal came from, with Jaliens stranded in blatantly foreign land and Shane Stefanutto left unopposed to provide Henrique with a tap-in. Talk about square pegs in round holes.

Equally mind-boggling was Stubbins’ decision to throw two unfit players into the starting 11 at the same time. Billy Celeski and Adrian Madaschi look like they’ll be astute signings for the Jets, particularly the former, but they were clearly off the pace against Brisbane.

Neither had even been afforded a cameo off the bench this season and it showed.

Stubbins could have easily dropped David Carney back into defence, allowing Jaliens to stay in centre back with Taylor Regan, and putting Jerónimo Neumann on the wing.

Celeski could have also been spared, given Ben Kantarovski and Zenon Caravella play similar roles, and the Jets’ only playmaker, Marcos Flores, could have provided a vital link between defence and attack.

Edson Montaño was absolutely stranded up front and was the only player to come away with any credibility.

He’s fantastic at holding up the ball, he’s intelligent when laying the ball off and he’s capable of dropping to pick up possession. Give him the support and the service and he’ll be a success this season.

But to do that, you need to play your best team in a logical formation, and that’s something Stubbins appears incapable of doing. It’s doubtful he’d get it working even if he did have his best on the park, but at least it would be a start.

Joel Griffiths looked filthy when he came off the field and a similarly grim looking Flores sat next to him, having just seen Stubbins use his third and final substitution.

Every player, especially in the second half, looked like they didn’t want to be there. From the outside looking in it appears that Stubbins has already lost the dressing room after just six games.

Post-game Stubbins came out and talked about how he had to take “responsibility” for the loss but then continued to blame “schoolboy errors” for the capitulation.

He also sprayed forth dribble that the “spirit” of his players was lacking. That much was clear, but the question is why?

You can’t take responsibility for a loss and then question the team’s effort and fail to acknowledge your tactical limitations. The Jets played how you would expect them to play in such a chaotic system. The schoolboy errors weren’t at fault, the system was.

The club have also failed to explain the saga regarding Jonny Steele, with his sudden departure coming just weeks after Stubbins lambasted him for his attitude in training.

This is a Northern Ireland international who has played with some highly talented players. Regardless of whether or not his attitude was suspect, bringing the dirty laundry out into the open was ill advised.

Similarly, the “no comment” and PR tripe coming from Jets chief executive Robbie Middleby’s mouth regarding Steele’s situation is unfortunately all too familiar.

If Steele has been a poor professional and disruptive influence, then say so and back your coach. If he needs to tend to family issues, send out a press release. Leaving the incident unresolved is hardly conducive to repairing a fractious environment.

But it’s indicative of the way Jets management have run the show ever since Nathan Tinkler’s Hunter Sports Group took ownership in 2010. Right now, Stubbins is a problem, but he’s not the source.

There’s been a lot of good work from the current regime, mostly ironed out in the first year, with memberships and gates increasing and the Emerging Jets Program a brilliant initiative.

Yet the drama that has followed – the embarrassing Jason Čulina saga, the attempt to hand back the license to the FFA and a flurry of promising players fleeing to pastures new – has dampened that initial success.

Jets fans are used to administrative ineptitude and poor on-field performances, ever since Con Constantine oversaw a player exodus following the 2008 grand final triumph. But what they’d give to have Con back right now. At least the passion would be there, if nothing else.

Too many players that used to be on the books at the Jets have gone on to bigger and better things, and that has to lie at the management’s feet, not just the head coach at the time.

Tarek Elrich is a reborn beast at Josep Gombau’s Adelaide, as is winger Craig Goodwin, while Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Labinot Haliti and Mark Bridge have just won the Asian Champions League.

Throw in Sydney FC’s utility weapon Ali Abbas, and Wellington’s workhorse Jeremy Brockie and the in-form Nathan Burns, and it’s no wonder Jets fans have lost their appetite for blind faith and loyalty.

The core of the club is rotten and it needs to be sorted out.

The player and fan discontent, mixed with a consistent failure to perform on the field, has failed to disperse despite the departure or demotion of three managers, three members of an advisory board, a chief scout and various others.

The only men that have avoided the cull despite all the drama are chairman Ray Baartz, clearly there for his public profile, and chief executive Robbie Middleby.

The buck falls with Middleby in terms of signing Phil Stubbins. How did Stubbins come into the position as head coach when more suitable candidates such as Mark Rudan could have been wooed?

Middleby also deserves part of the blame for how Jason Čulina was disgracefully treated, the hiring and firing of Gary van Egmond, the loss of quality talent from the roster and the current inability to find a buyer for the club.

Former HSG chief executive Troy Palmer also deserves a lot of the flak, but he’s thankfully already been shafted.

Results on and off the field are not what the fans deserve.

As a quick aside, any fan that’s been to a Jets home match would also be able to testify that crowd figures at Hunter Stadium are widely inaccurate. Doing some research, it can be seen that figures released officially and those released by stadium owners Venues NSW during the 2012-13 season were out of sync by as much as 3000 for every home match.

In comparison, Parramatta Stadium, also controlled by Hunter Venues, didn’t post such discrepancies, with figures out of whack by just a couple of hundred. Make of that what you will.

Presently, the buck stops with Stubbins. He has failed to put his best players on the field, failed to generate a harmonious culture and has incorporated bizarre tactics, all while falling out with major signings.

But what would sacking him actually achieve right now? A new manager may come in, if they dare, but the same problems will keep occurring.

The root of the problem is the administration and the Newcastle football community is sick of the excuses as well as the PR dribble.

The fans’ reactions on Friday night and the murmurings of discontent on social media is proof they’ve finally had enough. Novocastrians can definitely be a fickle bunch when it comes to sport and success, but rarely are they ever so anarchic.

Pride and loyalty is plentiful when it comes to local sporting sides. Many Knights fans stuck with Tinkler until the bitter end due to association, lambasting the Newcastle Herald for daring to report on his business dealings.

Jets fans have similarly stuck by their team through everything, but four consecutive seasons without finals football and the current drab performances on display have become too much.

It may start with Stubbins’ departure and the arrival of a bright prospect such as Rudan. But to be honest Rudan would be best advised to avoid the club until it’s cured at the heart.

The FFA have to come in and help sort out the mess. I’m not suggesting they need to take control of the club, but they do need to assist in pushing through a smooth transition from the current regime to the next as quickly as possible. Although if Tinkler’s finances worsen, they may be forced to step in.

The Jets are an attractive proposition for a potential buyer. They boast more than 9000 members, a huge level of participation at junior level and a history steeped in football. Newcastle is also a host city for the Asian Cup and Japan, Oman and Kuwait will be based there.

But a trip to England earlier this year to find investors proved fruitless and interest from billionaire Marwan Koukash has been quashed.

The A-League doesn’t necessarily need a strong Newcastle Jets to move forward, but it would be stupid to throw away a football heartland and let them slowly rot into oblivion, which is where they’re heading if something doesn’t change.