This Club Is Not A Transit Lounge

Newcastle Herald

Monday January 5, 2009

By JAMES GARDINER in Wellington

FRUSTRATED coach Gary van Egmond has delivered a blunt message to his failing stars: shape up or ship out.

The Newcastle Jets' slide from champions to chumps is all but complete after they went down 3-0 to a desperate Wellington Phoenix at Westpac Stadium last night.

The loss was symptomatic of the Jets' season. They dominated large periods of the match only to switch off and concede late goals.

Three second-half goals, one to Leo Bertos (62nd minute) and a brace to Shane Smeltz (67th and 86th), earned the home side three points and kept their finals hopes alive.

The defeat leaves the Jets entrenched at the bottom of the ladder on 15 points, four adrift of seventh-placed Perth, and needing a minor miracle to avoid the wooden spoon.

The Jets now have three matches to add some credibility and gain momentum heading into the Asian Champions League.

Van Egmond peeled the paint off the walls of the Westpac Stadium dressing rooms with a post-match spray.

"If you are looking at being at the Newcastle Jets and using it as a transit lounge, we do not want you here," he said.

"We want you out. We want you to get on your bike and leave. That goes for players who are coming off contract or are off contract.

"We can't have a case where we have players in our team who are not going to be mentally tough and grind results out. I have had enough of people switching off after 65 to 70 minutes.

"It is not a case that we overcommit. We still have numbers there defending. It is a matter of being desperate enough.

"We are creating good chances yes, we are not converting them but it is another thing altogether to drop your bundle and not do your defensive work."

Though he refused to single out individuals, it was clear that van Egmond was not happy with the performance of some of his big-name players.

"It is directed at the whole group," he said. "You cannot single out certain individuals because it has been an array of individuals over a period of time.

"We need to ensure the players who want to be involved with the Newcastle Jets ensure that we finish off the season on the right note and prepare for the Asian Champions League in the right vein."

Van Egmond hopes to add at least six players to the Jets before the ACL kicks off in March.

"Once these players come in there will be a few unhappy boys," he warned.

Last night he was forced to rely largely on a group of youngsters.

James Virgili at 16 years and 180 days became the youngest player in the history of the A-League when he came on as a substitute in the 77th minute.

Seven minutes later he also earned the dubious honour of being the youngest to give away a penalty after a challenge on Troy Hearfield just inside the box.

Smeltz converted from the spot, but the game was already over as a contest.

"Young Virgili was quite nervous and will be much better for the experience," van Egmond said. "The penalty was just clumsy. The game was gone by then."

The Jets were in control at half-time and could easily have led 4-0 but for some brilliant goalkeeping from Glen Moss.

"In the first half we had enough chances to win two or three games," the coach said.

"It was the same old story that we did not take our chances.

"We spoke about it at half-time. The fact that we knew at some stage they would get a chance or a half-chance and they would take it.

"That is exactly what happened."

Bertos's goal came a minute after the Phoenix had been denied a penalty claim but it nevertheless was against the run of play.

Hearfield made a run down the right edge and curled a cross that split Ante Covic and Adam Griffiths. Bertos was waiting at the far post and bundled the ball over the line.

Before the Jets had time to regroup it was 2-0.

Smeltz had hardly been sighted, but as quality strikers do, he made the most of a half-chance. He used his strength to brush off Mark Milligan and collect a long ball before producing a deft lob over a stranded Covic.

He now has 12 goals for the season and a mortgage on the league's Golden Boot.

Virgili signed a six-week contract on Wednesday and was rushed onto the bench. Fellow teenager Brodie Mooy was also promoted from the youth team for the trip across the Tasman but was left off the team sheet.

In a night of milestones, Sean Rooney, 19, made his run-on debut.

"I thought young Rooney did quite well," van Egmond said. "He held the ball up well and made some decent runs here and there."

Needing to win to keep their play-off hopes alive, the Phoenix appeared to tighten up under the weight of expectation.

Their passing lacked fluency and everything was done with a nervous edge about it.

Covic had little to do in the opening 45 minutes but it was different story at the other end. Tarek Elrich must have wondered what he had to do to beat Moss when denied twice in four minutes midway through the half.

Jobe Wheelhouse and Joel Griffiths also had shots saved.

But as has been the case all season things unravelled down the stretch.

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert was glad of one thing after the match.

"The wooden spoon won't be heading to New Zealand, that is for sure," he said. "It might not be the Jets, but it will be an Australian team."

"If you are looking at being at the Newcastle Jets and using it as a transit lounge, we do not want you here. We want you out. We want you to get on your bike and leave. That goes for players who are coming off contract or are off contract."

GARY VAN EGMOND

© 2009 Newcastle Herald

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