Why? So we can test Ljubo Milicevic's assertion that there are better players out there that A-League coaches aren't picking. And, also so I don't have to spend any time in the blog talking about the Jets lack of form, lack of wins, lack of goals, lack of players, lack of discipline, lack of morale etc etc. It's getting tiring and I am starting to feel like a Perth Glory fan.
Ljubo had a rant recently on another website and criticised the "Anglo" approach of A-League coaches. Is that because Culina (evidently of European background) picked Taylor Regan, Virgili and Sam Galloway to swell the squad? What about Fiorentini, Abbas, Haliti, Petrovski, Shuo? Hardly Anglo-Celtic names Ljubo.
I think the rant was directed not at Anglos in particular, just at racist Anglos. OK, we hear ya Ljubes. But then, Newcastle is the WASP capital of Australia, so you might hear some redneck rants from time to time out here.
Reading between the lines though, was Ljubo criticising of the long-ball approach that Branko's currently using? An English style "hoof it up to the big man" and play the second ball style of things? There's a lot less playing out of defence than there was a few months ago, and Tarek's default move if he's under pressure at the back is to simply lob it forward, anywhere will do.
Even Toppa is hoofing it long pretty frequently. This style is not winning fans over, nor is it winning games. And its blighting the CV's of the Jets forwards. None of them would have a goal to game ratio that a striker would be too proud of.
The ball over the top might work if we had the world's fastest man up front. On Sunday I saw Labi being outpaced by Mat Jurman as he tried to run down a long ball. Not a good look. Admittedly, there were some signs of one and two-touch play through the midfield, which was really encouraging. The defence held pretty well even without Ljubo, although Sydney are not exactly world-beaters at the moment are they. Perth made them look good but that isn't saying much.
The FFA cup would also show us how some of the Jets' strikers match up against players in lower leagues. It'll certainly make contract negotiations more interesting. If there's a striker from a non A-League club carving us up, it would ask all kinds of questions of our coach and players.
Back to Ljubo, who I wish we could stop discussing, but on the other hand not, since he provides such great material. I don't know about you, the exact nature of his bust-up with Jets management and his early departure from the club despite having no other team to go to was shrouded in mystery for me. That was until last Saturday, when I struck up a conversation with a stalwart of one of his Newcastle haunts and got the good oil.
It seems Ljube's passion for his model girl Iskra has led him into some impulsive decision making. Since she was due to go to Europe for some modelling work, the rumour is that Ljubo thought it would be a good idea to go over there with her and spend more time together. Pity he couldn't wait until the end of the season though.
And that's probably what Jets management thought too (although I'm sure there were some expletives mixed in there). If that's what happened. they have a good reason to feel aggrieved. So would his team mates. "High and dry" and other such figures of speech.
But without having a team to go to in Europe, it hasn't panned out too well and now he's looking in Asia. Asia is closer to Europe I suppose. Good luck to you Ljubo.
Sunday's game against Sydney was surprisingly spritely and the play more enterprising than the games against Wellington and Melbourne Victory, but there was still the lack of a true goal scorer up front until Petrovski came on. Petrovski's post-game comment was surprisingly frank and not exactly complimentary to his team.
He said, after explaining that the keeper had deflected his shot, that someone should have been there to pick up those chances. And while Topor-Stanley was unlucky for the ball to bounce unkindly off his thigh, he's not a striker is he? I think Petrovski might have been asking why weren't the other attackers there to clean up. And why haven't they been for the past ten games?
I'd love to see Petrovski's goal per minute on the field statistics. Maybe he can't last a whole 90 minutes but, well, he's just so damned reliable when it comes to goals.
After Labi's goal celebration was cut short by him not actually scoring, I would have been laughing if I hadn't been crying.
On another topic, I was watching some of the other games over the weekend and was wondering: How is it that these teams are bringing in new players right now? Adelaide had Slory come on for his debut and didn't he look good. They also have Usucar, another recent addition. Newcastle's injury woes are being blamed for the slump, but what about injury replacements?
There's an argument that Branko hasn't had time to build the squad the way he wants it, but how long does he need? Hasn't he been around for a while now?
And what's happening for next season? It looks like they're looking to re-sign the same squad we have now. Wouldn't it be great to get someone like Aziz Behich zipping down the flanks and whipping crosses into the box? What about pinching Cassio from Adelaide? What about a creative midfielder to boss the game? Or if he's going to play the long-ball, just get some huge striker to push his way through opposition defences, not small, light-footed attackers. Is there going to be a broom put through the squad like Ange Postecoglou did to Brisbane Roar? It doesn't actually look like it.
There are a lot of questions to answer right now and I don't think you can put it all down to the injuries. I wonder if the results are the same early next season, whether Tinkler will consider cutting his losses and investing in a different coach. One thing you can guarantee is that the other cellar-dwellers Perth & Sydney will not be sitting on their hands waiting for things to "come right". And if they DO renovate their squads, where will that leave the Jets?
