NICK Theodorakopoulos was given an ultimatum when he jumped in the Jets' pilot seat - finish in the top two or find a new job.
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Such was Theodorakopoulos's desire to coach in the A-League, Jets chairman Con Constantine could have asked him to do just about anything.
A fiercely driven competitor with an uninhibited love for the beautiful game, Theodorakopoulos encountered a number of hurdles after taking over from axed Englishman Richard Money.
Money took Newcastle to the semi-finals in their inaugural campaign, and had barely cleaned out his drawers when a replacement was announced. Assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny and performance manager Lee Clark were also shown the door - and would later win a legal battle over their dismissal.
The first snag was an inevitable showdown with goalkeeper Liam Reddy.
The pair had history.stemming back to 2003 when both were at Parramatta Power. The hostilities extended to Reddy's family. The keeper's father, rugby league legend Rod Reddy, and the coach were involved in a physical altercation outside the Parramatta Stadium gymnasium.
"It can't be resolved - simple as that,'' Reddy said of his tumultuous relationship and subsequently followed Ante Milicic to Brisbane.
Next was the departure of captain Ned Zelic. After launching a stinging broadside at the tactics used by Money, the former Socceroo was also gone.
Paul Okon was recruited and installed as captain.
A ball hadn't been kicked at this stage.
The fortunes didn't improve for Theodorakopoulos once the season started.
The opening seven rounds failed to produce a win and "coach Nick" journeyed back down the freeway to resume running his travel business.
Assistant coach Gary van Egmond was promoted to caretaker coach.
The man known as "Dutchy" knew the only way was up. Things could not have been any worse.
The Jets were anchored to the bottom of the ladder. Player morale was low. Crowd figures were even lower and dropping with every defeat.
Van Egmond's approach was simple: "Get the players to enjoy their football again."
The transformation was swift.
Van Egmond's first three games were wins.
Nicky Carle's last-minute match-winner against Adelaide remains arguably the greatest goal scored in the history of the A-League.
Injured Liverpool star Harry Kewell attended the blockbuster but incredibly left 10 minutes before full-time and missed Carle's piece of brilliance, which would have done Kenny Dalglish proud.
Winning the ball deep inside his own half, Carle weaved his way through a swag of defenders in a 65-metre burst. As he reached the edge of the box, the classy No.10 fired a blistering strike from the outside of his left foot. Adelaide goalkeeper Robert Bajic had no chance as it thundered into the top left corner for a 2-1 miracle.
By the end of the regular season, the Jets had shot to third place.
But the revival wasn't without turbulence.
"Jets fume as captain goes AWOL" the headlined screamed as a fallout between van Egmond and Okon threatened the revival.
Van Egmond had accused an injured Okon of failing to front for the Jets' 2-0 loss to Sydney FC on New Years Day.
"When 20,980 Novocastrians can turn up, you would think your captain can turn up," a furious van Egmond said after the match. "I have not heard from him. Not a phone call, nothing."
Okon and van Egmond had a strong relationship which went back to their playing days at Marconi in the early 1990s.
Dutchy had been the go-between when Okon had a row with Theodorakopoulos at the start of the season but said the defender had "lost him" this time.
Okon, who was sidelined with a quadriceps strain, suggested the next day that he watched the game from the hill accompanied by his son and friends.
"Was I supposed to coach the team?" he asked. "I was there with friends. In any of the other games this season when I have not been selected, I have not been in the shed at half-time barking orders. I don't think that is expected of me to do that."
The pair later settled their differences over the phone.
"Everything has been sorted. It was very much a case of misunderstanding," the coach said.
Okon, after a month out with the quadriceps injury, returned for a must-win, final-round clash against runaway leaders Melbourne Victory at home on January 19. A win would secure a place in the top four and cap a miraculous comeback by the Jets.
"When it all comes down to it, there are certain players that other players look to for leadership, and he (Okon) is definitely one," van Egmond said.
Okon delivered and produced arguably his best game for the Jets as they triumphed 4-0.
The Jets were headed for the finals and the city was on board.
Newcastle Knights God Andrew Johns penned a newspaper article in support of the Jets. Socceroos coach Graham Arnold tipped them to win the title.
The Jets accounted for defending champions Sydney FC over two legs - the second played in front of a sell-out crowd at EnergyAustralia Stadium - in the minor semi-final, only for the joy ride to end in the cruellest possible way, a loss on penalties to Adelaide United in the preliminary final.
Van Egmond was duly rewarded with a three-year contract.
If van Egmond was the conductor, Carle was the virtuoso.
Carle bewitched fans and defenders alike with a dazzling array of feints and flicks.
His magical efforts were rewarded with the Johnny Warren Medal for the A-League player of the year and a move to Turkish Super League club Genclerbirligi, for which the Jets received $650,000.
