Jets had positive end to the season, but the damage done early on proved too much and in the end the team fell 3 points short from making the play-offs. Signing playmaker Hoolahan and Arroyo last summer proved bad mistakes from coach Merrick, with former spending entire season injured and Arroyo not showing any kind of form all throughout.
Just 2 wins in the first 15 games (D4 L9) not only saw Merrick sacked right on New Year’s Eve, but also placed Jets in last place. January proved to be good month for the club though with Carl Robinson appointed in charge and old favourite O’Donovan resigned to boost the scoring record. Under Robinson Jets lost just once (W6 D3), but even this proved not enough.
Forward actions from January onwards were good and Jets definitely looked sharp when O’Donovan played. The team’s biggest strength was their midfield though where Ugarkovic in particular was hugely reliable.
Defending set pieces and crosses from the wings once again were amongst the main weaknesses. Also Jets had issues with the conversion rate as less than 12% of the shots they attempted were actually on target.
Coach Robinson seems to have started building something special in Newcastle already and if the gaffer manages to attract several players from Europe as everyone expects Jets would be a team to watch out for next season.
