SO much for the theory that Nathan Tinkler’s billions would rapidly transform the Newcastle Jets into an A-League juggernaut. Almost 18 months after the self-made tycoon assumed ownership of the city’s round-ball franchise, fans who snapped up cut-price season tickets are still waiting for dividends on the pitch that mirror their expectations. On Sunday, the Jets created an unwanted piece of club history when they lost 3-2 to Sydney and thereby missed out on a berth in the play-off series. Never before have Newcastle been finals spectators in consecutive seasons. And if the realisation that their team were not good enough to reach the top six was disappointing for the Novocastrian faithful, it should perhaps be no surprise. With the benefit of hindsight, this campaign was as good as doomed before the Jets had kicked a ball in anger. What team in any professional competition on the planet could lose their highest-paid player to a career-threatening injury, then sack their coach, just days before the season kick-off and hope to perform at the envisaged level? Yet ironically not qualifying for the post-season could prove a positive outcome for the Jets. A top-six berth would no doubt have been proffered by the powers-that-be as evidence of a successful year. Now there is no such scope for papering over the cracks. Instead, Jets management need to accept this season for what it was – a failure – and make sure their mistakes are not repeated. To argue otherwise is inviting mediocrity. And as Jets officials take time out from their ongoing squabbles with Football Federation Australia to conduct an end-of-season review, uncertainty lingers over their club like a black cloud. To start with, marquee signing Jason Culina remains in limbo. It may not be known for several months if he will ever lace on a boot for Newcastle. Until Culina’s fate is decided – by either an arbitrator or an orthopaedic surgeon – Jets officials say they will be unable to lock in next season’s roster. Then we get to the future of coach Gary van Egmond, who signed a contract until the end of next season when he was appointed in November to replace Branko Culina. Has van Egmond done enough on the strength of this season’s results to secure an extension? If not, then Jets management have no option but to wait and assess him on next season’s early performances, which is far from an ideal scenario. Speculation surrounding the boss’s future can distract and destabilise the best of teams. But given that the Jets terminated Branko Culina just six months into a four-year tenure, it is unlikely they will be hasty making any appointments of such gravity. Van Egmond’s four seasons as Newcastle’s coach have taken him through the full spectrum. He steered the Jets to third in 2006-07 and then their premiership win in 2007-08, followed immediately by the wooden spoon. This season he inherited Culina’s squad after three games, and proceeded to win eight, draw five and lose 11 of their remaining 24 fixtures. Along the way he fell out with veteran midfielder Kasey Wehrman and refused to select him and then punted rookie Chris Payne after a sizeable pay-out. Regardless of whether Wehrman and Payne were viable options, it hardly seems good business to take more than $200,000 of your salary cap and flush it down the S-bend. Unfortunately for van Egmond, such episodes have been something of a recurring theme. Imports Jorge Drovandi, Edmundo Zura, Jesper Hakansson and Donny de Groot were recruited on his watch, only to head home prematurely with their bank balances enhanced but not their reputations. Van Egmond’s track record for identifying and developing outstanding tyros is his obvious forte. James Holland, Song Jin-hyung and Stuart Musialik were among those he nurtured in Newcastle’s early years, and already the Jets have signed Mark Birighitti (Adelaide), James Brown (Gold Coast), Adam Taggart (Perth) and Connor Chapman (AIS) for next season, as well as extending the contracts of home-grown youngsters Taylor Regan and Jacob Pepper. Van Egmond’s penchant for youth and pace is encouraging, because it indicates a long-term vision as opposed to a quick-fix solution. History suggests an A-League side can transform from also-rans to heavyweights, or vice versa, in the space of a season. But as the Newcastle Jets will testify, building a juggernaut does not happen overnight, irrespective of who is funding the operation.

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