Jets need to make things happen: Jones
Nov 24, 2016 - 3:39 AM The Newcastle Jets need to start taking the initiative and stop waiting for opposition goals to spark them into action, coach Mark Jones says.The injury-ravaged A-League battlers drew 1-1 with arch-rivals Central Coast in Sunday's F3 Derby, but it wasn't until after Jake McGing's opening goal for the Mariners that the Jets really clicked into gear.
Danish import Morten Nordstrand levelled the scores midway through the second half, and from then on it was Newcastle who looked the more likely to find a winner.
Jones sees it as a worrying trend and reckons his side is too timid in the early part of games, for whatever reason.
In fact, the only goals the Jets have scored over the last five weeks have come when they were already behind.
"It's frustrating for them. They've seen we can play good football," Jones said.
"We've played good football against all the teams, especially in the second half. But it's about starting a little bit earlier and being confident when it's 0-0.
"We get it back to 1-1 and we're extremely confident but it's the same result at 0-0, so we need to play for the start and back ourselves to play through teams and do the actions and the system and the style of play, right from the start.
"We're trying to put our finger on why they're not confident right from the get go. But the game sort of pans out that way (sometimes) as well."
The Jets take on Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Saturday evening but will be without two of their most effective attacking players, Aleksandr Kokko (fractured jaw) and Andrew Nabbout (ankle).
Both players are expected to be out for around a month, joining a casualty ward already featuring captain Nigel Boogaard (knee), Daniel Mullen (knee) and Lachlan Jackson (ankle), while goalkeeper Ben Kennedy (achilles) and youngster Daniel Alessi (knee) will miss the entire season.
Labinot Haliti and Andy Brennan have been included in Newcastle's travelling squad while it's likely Chinese import Ma Leilei will take on an increased role in the absence of Kokko and Nabbout.
The Jets have only lost once in Melbourne to the Victory since March 2013.
"We've always gone down with a bit of belief. All the games I've been involved in, I can't remember one that we've lost down there," Jones said.
Source: AAP
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