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Phil Stubbins’ summer clean-out of his squad at the Newcastle Jets draws parallels with Ange Postecoglou’s at Brisbane Roar back in 2010, but does that mean Newcastle can go on and win a toilet seat?
It’s difficult to see how, but then again no one really tipped the Roar to go on and win the A-League after Postecoglou and his side went through a similar process.
The major difference between the two though is that Postecoglou has a firm philosophy on the way he wants his sides to play football.
Possession-based football, closing down opponents and trying to win the ball back as soon as you lose it are all a part of the Postecoglou way of playing, but what are the key attributes of the Stubbins style of football?
It’s a question many would struggle to answer.
Stubbins has lurched from formation to formation trying to find the best one to suit his players. Of course every manager has their own methods but wouldn’t it be easier for Stubbins to have a clear formation in mind, off which he can build his side?
It can also be argued that this isn’t really Stubbins’ side, as owner Nathan Tinkler recently stated in his reveal-all interview with The World Game.
So this clean-out had to happen, one way or another. For it to happen mid-season is probably a blessing in disguise for Newcastle despite it meaning this season is now nothing more than a transitional one. It is better to get this out of the road now and hope that it shapes the squad to be in a better position for next season, as it was when Postecoglou first took over at the Roar.
The similarities continue when you look at the key players that have been axed by both men during their mid season clean outs – in particular Craig Moore and Kew Jaliens.
Moore was captain of the Roar, a decorated player, former Socceroo and certainly a key figure in the Roar dressing room, yet Postecolou saw no place for him in his side.
Stubbins has done the same with Jaliens, who again is a well-travelled pro and was captain of the Jets. Both bold moves.
Other senior players were cut from both sides and left a gaping hole of experience that most experts would value as ‘priceless’. But what is the point of keeping experienced heads if they don’t want to buy into a new coach’s philosophy? Is that what has happened with the supposed ‘player revolt’ at the Jets?
The Jets fall-out wasn’t limited to players, as assistant coach Clayton Zane left as well. A war of words erupted between himself, Stubbins and Tinkler through the media that added further fuel.
This certainly hasn’t been a good look for the Jets, something the fans of the club have been quite vocal about.
Even before the season kicked off there was trouble between the Jets’ active supporters group – The Squadron – Jets officials and FFA officials over new active supporters rules, which were brought in to ward off ‘unruly behaviour’ in the active supporters areas across the A-League.
Club owner Nathan Tinkler has been the main target of criticism from fans, the media and players alike but he has been very brave during this whole saga.
While Tinkler cut his teeth in the mining and business sectors to earn a crust – and a large one at that – he has thrown himself right into the deep end with this Newcastle Jets project. He took the reins when the club needed him most, during the late player and staff payments and the player and staff cleanouts. He fronted the media and defended the club’s integrity well.
Now he is going about rebuilding the club from the area he loves and was raised in. He wants them to go back to the glory days when they won the third edition of the A-League. Whether or not he has gone about it the right way or not, only time will tell, but it’s fair to say Tinkler has taken the hard road. When it would have been so much easier to sack the one man in charge, in Phil Stubbins, rather than a raft of players, he did the opposite to what most club owners the world over do on a slightly too regular basis.
It takes guts to do that and it would certainly be nice to see Tinkler rewarded with a successful Newcastle Jets in the future.
Tinkler has made next season a make-or-break one for his era as the owner of the Jets. By making the decisions he has, which look to be the right ones as the squad has been underwhelming for a number of seasons now, Stubbins must deliver finals football to the Hunter – at the very least.
Can Stubbins do it? That is the question on a lot of people’s lips. Either way, expect even more fireworks next season and even on the run home in this season as the Jets embark on a defining period in their history.
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