Transfer Talk Won't Distract Jets from A-League Title Push
Newcastle Jets coach Mark Milligan is not surprised that his young stars are attracting interest from clubs both in Australia and abroad. In fact, he expects it. Milligan believes that speculation over players' futures will not be a distraction as the high-flying Jets approach the business end of the A-League campaign.
European Interest in Jets Defenders
Centre-back Mark Natta has this week been linked to a move to Norwegian outfit FK Bodo/Glimt at the end of the season. FK Bodo/Glimt are four-time domestic champions and last week qualified for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League after accounting for Manchester City and Atletico Madrid.
"It is part of the game," said Milligan, who had stints in Scotland, England, China, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia during his playing career. "We have spoken to the players from the very beginning. I want them to be ambitious."
"The football that they are playing and where we are at on the table demands attention. Whether it is Mark Natta or someone else, this is a part of their lives. It is good that big clubs and big teams are looking at our players. That is where we want our team to be."
Contract Situations and Squad Balance
Natta is among a host of players who are off contract, headed by headline-grabbers Eli Adams and Clayton Taylor, Golden Boot equal-leader Lachie Rose, Kiwi World Cup hopeful Lachie Bayliss, and captain Kosta Grozos.
Milligan said recruitment and retention was a year-round process and the club was in regular talks with players. "Yes, we have a lot of discussions," Milligan said. "It is about the balance of the squad moving forward. It is also about who the Jets want to be over the next three to five years."
"The balance of the squad is very important. If you look back, any team which has had success in the A-League finds it hard to hold on to players. We need to find our point of difference. For me, it is the football we play and the demands we put on players."
"We want to sustain that momentum not just through this week and year. We want to build a squad moving forward that is going to be thereabouts every year."
Milligan's Coaching Success and Future
Milligan has been a revelation in his first season as a head coach. After steering the club to the Australian Cup for the first time, the Jets are perched on top of the ladder on the back of a club-record five-straight wins.
The former Socceroos captain has one year to run on his contract but is "not in a rush." "I have a few clauses in there," he said. "At the moment, I am very content with where we are at. I don't think there is any need for us to rush into things, whether that is with me, my staff or our players."
"Proof is in the pudding in terms of the work they are doing and the drive they have. It is most important that we continue to get that right. The rest of the stuff will take care of itself."
Transfer Window and Upcoming Fixtures
The A-League transfer window closes on February 14. The Jets secured Zach Clough from Malaysia but, with the majority of European windows closed, Milligan is not expecting player movement either way.
Milligan, who was awarded the A-League Coach of the Month after the Jets notched consecutive wins over Auckland (3-1), Melbourne City (1-0), Western Sydney (2-1), Wellington (4-1), and Brisbane (4-1), returns to Adelaide on Sunday where he served a three-year apprenticeship under Carl Veart.
Milligan's wife and three daughters stayed in the South Australian capital. "My eldest daughter has supplied us with her school ground as a training ground, which is nice," Milligan said. "I will always be appreciative of the opportunity that Adelaide gave me to learn and grow as a coach."
"The fans were excellent to me. I have been in this game a long time and you understand it is transitional. My full focus now is day-by-day what we do. Ultimately the goal is to win. I don't mind if the Adelaide fans aren't too happy with me after the game."
Injury Updates and Defensive Improvements
Grozos (calf) and Clough (groin) didn't travel with the squad as they work back to full fitness, but Milligan didn't rule out the midfielders joining the squad for the second leg of the trip against Perth next Friday night.
"They are close," Milligan said. "They have been in [full] training this week. We need to make sure they are at a level physically before they return to play. Also the boys who have been in the squad are doing extremely well. After the game on Sunday, we will reassess for Perth."
Adelaide sit four points and five places behind the Jets, who are chasing a fifth straight win on the road. "It will be a good battle," Milligan said. "Two young squads, who for me, are looking to do things the right way and looking to progress. It is a very important game for us."
The Jets' winning run has coincided with a much improved defence. They have conceded four goals in five games, while scoring 14. "There has been a big shift in the mentality defensively," Milligan said.
"It was always going to be the case. We had to start our football where I wanted it to be. That was to score goals. For me, that is the hardest thing in the game to do. We worked very, very hard on that. As time has passed, the players have started to get a feel on what is needed defensively. They have had to learn from their mistakes."
"They have found the balance between being effective defensively and continuing our attacking style of play."
