No excuses: Newcastle Jets coach Ash Wilson says it's time for her side to deliver

The 37-year-old became the club's first female head coach last season when she took over after serving as Craig Deans' assistant for five years.

A fierce competitor in her playing days - Wilson was among the rising talents of her generation and played in the now-defunct Women's National Soccer League for Northern NSW Pride - finishing eighth and in second-last position in her maiden campaign was understandably disappointing.

While the Jets were there or thereabouts in most matches, they lacked firepower and game-changers.

Newcastle finished the 14-round season with just seven points from 12 outings despite producing strong performances against some of the top sides.

Wilson is asking more of her charges this campaign, with an eye on a return to finals football.

Yes, the Jets were the only team in the league who did not have any international players - they have instead relied heavily on home-grown talent and youth. And yes, around half of last year's squad were new.

But this year there are no excuses.

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Wilson has retained the bulk of her squad with 11 players returning. The club has answered her desire for international talent.

Exciting Norwegian Marie Markussen has joined the Jets fresh from helping Valerenga win the Norway Women's Cup.

Another international is coming but no other details have been released.

Wilson has also searched far and wide for promising Australian talent and has assembled a squad she wants to be "forward-thinking" and to play with attacking flair.

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The Jets are four weeks into a six-week pre-season and, with less than a fortnight until they open their 2021-22 campaign, she is continually asking questions of all of her players.

"Everyone is going to have a role," Wilson said. "With the less experienced players, we talk a lot about being accountable, being good role models and making sure they are leading the way on and off the pitch as well.

"It's a team sport. We can't rely on one or two people to get us through. That's perhaps been the case in the past.

"Everyone has to put their hand up this season. Everyone is accountable. Everyone has their role to play and is expected to know their role, so their job for the good of the team. That's going to be key. That when we step out on the pitch and when we're in training, everyone is accountable to each other."

The departure of talented young fullback Tess Tamplin to Swiss Women's Super League champions Servette leaves a big hole in the Jets backline but has opened up an opportunity for someone else.

They have also lost attacking midfielder and club player of the year Rhianna Pollicina to Melbourne City. Also gone from last year's squad are Chloe O'Brien, Alisha Bass, Evelyn Chronis, Pana Petratos and Nicole Simonsen.

Rising talent Kirsty Fenton has impressed through the Jets Academy to earn her first A-League Women's contract. The 18-year-old defender is in the Future Matildas program.

Attacking midfielder Lucy Johnson comes to the Jets from strong performances playing for South Melbourne in the Victorian NPLW and will also be playing in her debut season at national level.

The Jets have also added midfielder Bethany Gordon, who has experience with Canberra United and has played in Denmark. Goalkeeper Georgia Boric comes to the club also keen to get her first playing minutes in the league. And Markussen's signing is expected to bring an X factor to the team.

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Eleven players are returning for the Jets in a move Wilson hopes will result in improved cohesiveness, particularly when pushing forward.

"We wanted to maintain and retain that core group of players that we've started building with last year," Wilson said.

"That was a strong point for us. We're looking at bringing in players that we thought from a technical point of view, from an ability point of view, from a physical point of view could add a little bit extra as well, and that also from a character point of view could come into our environment and fit in well with that culture that we're trying to create.

"We identified areas where we could add value to what we were doing. Whether it was from a technical point of view or a physical point of view."

"No excuses" has been the mantra through pre-season, and Wilson said players are buying in.

"We've got experienced players in the team already," she said. "We're bringing in added experience. We've looked around for others players who are keen for opportunity.

"Collectively, we're all accountable to make sure that what we're putting out there is going to be something that is going to deliver.

"We haven't had internationals for a couple of years and it's definitely been something that we've been pushing for and the club has responded and we're appreciative of that.

"There's no excuses now. When you look at the team we have on paper, there's no excuses at all. That's been the message and there's lots of positive signs."

Players have all come into pre-season after months without football due to lockdowns. But after a series of testing and four weeks of training, Wilson believed the squad were "in a good place".

"We talk about one per cent habits," Wilson said. "Small, marginal one per cent changes in certain things, and just having slightly higher expectations in different areas and just lifting those standards. Last year we were not just there yet. That was a bit of a theme. We were good in patches. We weren't consistent enough at times. We did enough to win games but for us it was 'you're so close'.

"All over the park, everyone has got the mentality that they want to be better. They want to better with the ball. They want to be better without the ball."

The front third was an area targeted for improvement and Wilson believes the Jets are on the right track to putting together an arsenal of attacking weapons.

But it is not just up top where she wants to be proactive with the ball.

"We want to play an attacking brand of football," Wilson said. "We've got pace in a lot of different areas. I'm hoping the combination of that physical attribute of speed, but then also being better with the ball and more organised are going to have an impact on outcomes as well."

A lack of internationals for the past two seasons has been glaring. When you look at the teams who have made finals throughout the league's history, there has been international experience.

But it is not just on game day where overseas players can have impact on the squad. They also lift the standards at training.

Markussen comes with a mouth-watering highlights reel for Jets fans and Wilson believes the 24-year-old, who has a handful of caps for Norway, can "cause a bit of damage" in the league.

A second international player, yet to be named, is expected to join the Jets late this month.

"She's a versatile player and the plan is she'll be looking to come in and add to our midfield," Wilson said.

"But she's someone who can midfield, wing, fullback so it just adds a little bit of versatility and experience as well."

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