You know how much it hurts me to point out I told you so, but you can't dispute my tip, nay statement of impending fact, last week that the Jets would beat Melbourne City.
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Self-congratulation partly over, it had to be so for any number of reasons or perhaps to vindicate several long-standing gut-feelings. Newcastle generally lift against the bigger-name teams and ruffle a few egos and feathers.
Of course their record against Sydney would suggest that is a furphy, but they have given many a bold account of themselves only to succumb to the class of individuals such as Alex Brosque and Milos Ninkovic.
I don't fancy Melbourne sides in games played in mid-summer, daylight conditions away from Victoria, with the wind at McDonald Jones Stadium an added detractor for most. Throw in the three-day back up after their loss to the Mariners, and City looked a little vulnerable.
I have asked questions about their soul before, not the competitive instincts of the likes of Scott Jamieson, Curtis Good and Jamie Maclaren, nor their former warrior and now coach Patrick Kisnorbo, but whether the club has the ability to conjure victories when the odds seem against them.
Even the most ardent Jets fan would admit their team have been modest at best, with the odd exception, yet the last nine times they have led City at half-time, they have gone on to win.
That seems an incredible statistic given the respective budgets, on-paper pedigrees and ladder positions over an extended period. You could counter that argument by noting that City had scored in 19 consecutive games against the Jets before Sunday, but I would then suggest that even had they scored, they might have been out-toughed in the long run.
I'm not trying to analyse City and highlight their problems, but I'm honest enough to say that I'd back the Jets against them in trying conditions all day. That said, City will likely finish well ahead of Newcastle on the table.
For all that reasoning and hunch justification, City met the Jets at the worst possible time. Not just because Newcastle's confidence had been buoyed by recent results, but because defeat for the home side would have destroyed the perfect narrative unfolding for the club's new hierarchy in regards to the coaching position.
The case for Craig Deans to be appointed full-time has gathered momentum and only defeat last Sunday would have left punters a bit antsy about heading that way. In fairness, performances have been reliable in all matches, with the bounce of the ball evening out the past three games.
New coaches are generally expensive, demanding in terms of their own support staff and recruits and they can take time to implement their way. A cash-strapped Jets can afford neither.
Having ticked the box of independent, expert advice on the coaching appointment, my mail says they will, as early as this week, settle on Deans as coach until the end of this season at least. That would seem a pretty sensible option for all concerned. Deans has served a very long apprenticeship, stepped in when required and knows the players and club. Officials and prospective owners will get to analyse an extended audition if he is to be considered a long-term solution.
Financially, promotion from within best suits the club's hierarchy, and I'm sure the weekend's result delighted them. A change for the sake of change may have affected talks with prospective buyers or plans for a different ownership model.
The current decision-makers have a lot on their plate. Steve Ugarkovic is on the move at season's end and there's whispers Angus Thurgate may also be wooed elsewhere. And there's a later than usual transfer window about to open. The club's two best players, Nigel Boogaard and Nikolai Topor-Stanley, are going really well but are deep into their mid-30s and contingencies are needed.
A busy time. Onwards and upwards we hope. Now I just need to work out when is the next game.
