FORMER Newcastle Jets skipper Ruben Zadkovich says ‘‘changes need to be made’’ if his old club is to re-emerge as an A-League force after almost half a decade of mediocrity.
Speaking a day after it was revealed that Scottish Premier League outfit Dundee United had shown interest in buying the Jets from controversial owner Nathan Tinkler, Zadkovich told the Newcastle Herald that his ex-teammates were not solely to blame for what is shaping as another underwhelming season.
Having missed the play-offs for the past four campaigns, the Jets are second-last on the ladder, five points adrift of the top six, after only nine games.
Zadkovich, who played in 97 games but no finals for Newcastle between 2010 and last season, joined Perth at the start of this season and is set to play against the Jets for the first time in Friday night’s showdown at nib Stadium.
And while he said there would be ‘‘no mercy’’ on the pitch, he empathised with the men he once played alongside.
‘‘I just think that the players at Newcastle get the rough end of the stick, if you know what I mean,’’ he said.
‘‘There are a lot of issues with Newcastle as a club and the way everything is run, and you can see that the players don’t benefit very much.
‘‘I certainly feel for my old teammates, and seeing them down near the bottom of the league isn’t nice.
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‘‘But I don’t think they can be held fully responsible, to be honest. There are some deeper issues.
‘‘Being at the club for four years and not making the finals, and now seeing where they are at the moment, obviously changes need to be made.
‘‘I’m not going to go into what I think they are, but you can just tell there are problems with the club.
‘‘And it’s really sad to see because those Newcastle fans and members, and even my ex-teammates, I feel for those guys.
‘‘They deserve better.’’
Zadkovich was contracted to the Jets for this season but secured a release to sign a two-year deal with Perth. He said Newcastle would always hold a special place in his heart but added: ‘‘I’m just glad to be out of there at the moment.
‘‘I worked my arse off there for four years and wanted nothing more than to see the club being successful, but it wasn’t to be.
‘‘Now I’ve been lucky enough to join up with Kenny Lowe’s crew over here in Perth and I’m loving it.
‘‘We’re on top of the league and we play in the FFA Cup final next week, so we’ve got a lot to look forward to and some big games ahead of us.’’
The 28-year-old midfielder was unaware of the reports that Dundee United had been linked to a possible takeover.
Zadkovich has played only three times this season because of injuries and suspensions and, after a few ‘‘niggles’’ at training this week, was not sure how much of a role he would play against the Jets.
He said Lowe had reassured him to be patient in treating his injuries because he would be a key man at the business end of proceedings.
Despite Newcastle’s lowly position on the ladder and dismal record in Perth, where they have lost eight consecutive games, Zadkovich said Perth would be wary.
‘‘They’ve got nothing to lose and I know from my time there that Newcastle are always capable of beating the top sides,’’ he said.
‘‘We beat the top sides, away from home, and we did that right throughout the four years I was there.
‘‘So we won’t be underestimating them.
‘‘They’ve got some good players and I know they’ve got some good guys there. Guys who want to win.
‘‘We have to be ruthless and show no mercy.
‘‘But after the game I’m looking forward to catching up with some of my old teammates and spending some time with them.’’
