Quote:
Jets clear for take-off in defining year of change
By JAMES GARDINER Oct. 8, 2014, 10:30 p.m.
LAST SEASON
Position: 7th, 10 wins, six draws, 11 losses, 36 points, 34 goals for, 34 against
NEW SIGNINGS
Marcos Flores (Central Coast): Won the Johnny Warren Medal in 2010-11 when at Adelaide. Coming back from a knee reconstruction and out to prove a point after being let go by the Mariners. The Jets have not had a genuine playmaker since Nick Carle left after season two. The strikers should be the beneficiary of his vision, skilful passing and creativity. Will get better as the season progresses.
Billy Celeski (Liaoning Whowin): A late addition whose start to the season has been delayed by minor groin surgery. Won a title and featured in four finals series at Melbourne Victory. Direct replacement for Ruben Zadkovich. Quality defensive midfielder when fit and firing.
Jonny Steele (New York Red Bulls): Dynamic left winger who gets up and down the touchline. Essentially replaces Craig Goodwin. Is more aggressive and appears a bigger threat on goal. His combination with former Red Bulls teammate Dave Carney could be crucial.
Adrian Madaschi (Jeju United): Veteran left stopper. Tall and experienced, but has been hampered by a calf issue in the latter stages of the pre-season. Not the quickest but is a good organiser and alongside skipper Kew Jaliens should provide leadership from the back.
Sam Gallagher (Hanoi T&T): Can play left stopper or left fullback. The Jets are his fourth A-League club. Has been one of the positives of the pre-season and will challenge Madaschi and Taylor Regan hard for a regular starting berth.
Jeronimo Neumann (Adelaide United): Was deemed surplus to requirements by Adelaide coach Josep Gombau despite netting nine goals. Replaces Adam Taggart, but don’t expect the same yield. Can play on the right but is more suited at the nine spot. Will compete with Joel Griffiths and Edson Montano for game time.
Edson Montano (Barcelona Sporting Club): Promising Ecuadorean striker. All power. Played at an under-20 World Cup and has four senior caps. Speaks little English. Might take time to adjust to Australian game and culture but should score goals. His girlfriend arrived this month from Ecuador.
Allan Welsh (Croydon Kings): Promising central defender who can also play as a defensive midfielder. Tall but with good feet. More a project player but will undoubtedly get a chance.
Josh Barresi (Western Sydney): Ruptured his ACL in a friendly against Juventus and is out for the season.
DEPARTURES
Michael Bridges (retired), Josh Brillante (Fiorentina), James Brown (Melbourne City), Connor Chapman (Melbourne City), Nathan Burns (loan expired), Joey Gibbs (released), Emile Heskey (released), Josh Mitchell (Liaoning Whowin), Adam Taggart (Fulham), Nick Ward (injury replacement expired), Ruben Zadkovich (Perth Glory)
THE WASH-UP
On the surface, the departures outweigh the arrivals. The biggest loss in terms of name is Heskey. The former England and Liverpool star scored 11 goals in two seasons, and of those only two came last campaign. His loss will be felt more in the dressing room where he was a magnet for players and a great professional. The biggest shoes to fill are those of Taggart. He won the Golden Boot with 16 goals and supplied nearly half of the 34 scored.
Skipper Ruben Zadkovich and midfielder Josh Brillante head the list of other notable departures. Zadkovich set the tone with his defensive bite, energy and enthusiasm but was prone to the odd brain snap. Brillante split his time between right back and midfield and was just starting to dominate games.
2014-2015 full strength team
4-2-3-1 Birighitti; Scott Neville, Kew Jaliens, Adrian Madaschi, David Carney; Billy Celeski, Zenon Caravella; Jeronimo, Marcos Flores, Jonny Steele; Joel Griffiths.
4-4-2 Ben Kennedy; Josh Brillante, Kew Jaliens, Josh Mitchell, Sam Gallaway; Joel Griffiths, Ben Kantarovski, Ruben Zadkovich, David Carney; Adam Taggart, Emile Heskey
2014-2015 full strength team comments
GK: Mark Birighitti – Had a strong start last season but ended up sitting on the bench for the final four games. Lost his way after a trial with Bayer Leverkusen but was selected in Socceroos extended squad for World Cup. Missed a place in Brazil but gained a ton of confidence from the experience in camp.
RD: Scott Neville – Returns after missing most of last season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. A bit rusty early but has improved in each of the past three friendlies. Was in career-best form before the injury. Very much a confidence player. Has pace and is a threat overlapping. Comes in for Josh Brillante, who was outstanding despite considering himself a central midfielder.
CD: Kew Jaliens – Has been given the captaincy after the departure of Zadkovich. Made a great start last season but faded. Good organiser and sets high standards. Is dangerous from set pieces.
CD: Adrian Madaschi – Replaces Josh Mitchell who was let go despite a strong finish to the season. Left stopper has been a trouble spot for the Jets. He has height and experience but lacks mobility. Sam Gallagher, Taylor Regan and Allan Welsh will keep him honest.
LD: David Carney – A class act. Struggled with a lower back problem early in the pre-season which impacted on his training. Has improved his fitness, has a beautiful left foot and great vision. Makes up for lack of pace with smarts.
CM: Billy Celeski – An area of strength last season is almost threadbare. Celeski is a proven performer. Can play as a six or eight and the Jets need him to be fit and firing. A totally different player to Zadkovich.
CM: Zenon Caravella – Back after a three-month stint in Cairns helping run the family backpackers hostel. Was in career best form when he called it quits. His composure on the ball and ability to pull the strings from midfield will be crucial. He has been playing in the Queensland state league and should only take a few weeks to get up to speed. Pushing both will be Ben Kantarovski. It shapes an important season for the home-grown player, whose knee continues to hive him grief.
RM: Jeronimo – Prefers to play at the point. Has tons of pace, is lethal from distance and reliable crosser of the ball. Joel Griffiths finished last season on the right wing, but at 35 is better suited centrally. Andrew Hoole could be the wildcard. Quick and dynamic with great engines. Now all he has to do is score goals.
No.10: Marcos Flores – The Jets have not had a No.10 of his ilk – any for that matter – since Nicky Carle won the Johnny Warren medal in 2007. Much of the Jets hopes will rest on the Argentinian and his creative spark. If he can get on a roll and open the way for his front men, the team and town will jump on his coat tails. Is coming back from a knee reconstruction, which is a big question mark, but is extremely driven.
LM: Jonny Steele – Taggart and Goodwin both played there last season. Steele is an out and out left winger. He is all action, has pace and a lethal left foot. Won’t die wondering. FW: Joel Griffiths – In the latter stages of his career but still quick across the ground. Runs great lines and is a proven finisher. Should benefit from having Flores in behind. You are almost guaranteed 10 goals a season from him. Will have Edson Montano and Jeronimo pushing for game time.
THIS WILL BE A BIG YEAR FOR
You could list half the squad here. Marcos Flores, Dave Carney, Jeronimo, Edson Montano, Scott Neville and Billy Celeski all have reasons to be motivated. But in terms of career and the next move, Mark Birighitti has the most at stake. The ambitious keeper was on the verge of a move to the Bundesliga until a deal with Bayer Leverkusen broke down at the death. A European move remains the goal, and he also has his sights set on Socceroos selection for the Asia Cup.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Jets are desperate to end a four-year absence from the finals but will need to tick a lot of boxes to achieve that goal. There has been a major turnover in playing personnel and staff. What was a young squad is now one of the more experienced in the league. Phil Stubbins finally gets a chance in charge of an A-League side. He has some big personalities to manage, and a priority will be keeping them motivated and on the same page. Marcos Flores has to stay sound and reproduce the magic that earned a Johnny Warren Medal in Adelaide four years ago. David Carney, Kew Jaliens, Jonny Steele, Jeronimo, Billy Celeski and Joel Griffiths are proven performers. Throw in the potential of Edson Montano and Andrew Hoole and there is a lot to like. Four games away from home to start the season will test their resolve and the uncertainty over the club’s ownership will be bubbling away in the background. Stubbins has a glass half-full approach and if the players jump on board, the month of May could be spent playing finals rather than on an end-of-season trip.
FULL SQUAD
KEEPERS: Mark Birighitti, Ben Kennedy, John Solari
DEFENDERS: Kew Jaliens, Adrian Madaschi, Taylor Regan, Allan Welsh, Sam Gallagher, Sam Gallaway, Scott Neville, Dave Carney, Jacob Pepper
MIDFIELDERS: Ben Kantarovski, Billy Celeski, Zenon Caravella, Mitch Cooper, Marcos Flores, Jonny Steele, James Virgili, Andrew Hoole, Josh Barresi
FORWARDS: Jeronimo Neumann, Joel Griffiths, Edson Montano.
