It’s not particularly difficult to see where the Jets have been lacking this season.
In almost every game the Jets create chances at will but refuse to convert them. It’s a genuine concern.
After Newcastle’s frustrating 2-1 loss to Adelaide United on Sunday following some late penalty drama, Ernie Merrick said he felt like he was repeating himself.
“As I walked down the corridor I thought, ‘am I going to say it all again?
’ All these shots, and we lose the game,” Merrick said.
This has been the theme of Newcastle’s season as they’ve consistently struggled to convert an abnormally high amount of chances and shots into goals.
“We really need to put those shots away, otherwise we’re just shooting ourselves in the foot,” Merrick said.
“We’re not going to create much this year at all if we continue like this.
It comes down to individual play.”
Prior to Roy O’Donovan’s return, his absence was a convenient scapegoat that provided a feasible reason for the lack of goals. Now that he is back, the Jets have played with some additional fluidity in attack but have still let too many good opportunities slip.
“It can’t come down to one person. It’s not about Roy from now on: it’s about Roy and everyone else,” Merrick said.
Despite Nigel Boogaard’s costly mistake against Adelaide, the back four played very well. The two fullbacks especially made some great overlapping runs to add further width and penetration in attack. The midfield pair also operated well and kept things ticking over nicely.
The Jets are doing everything right, except for scoring (which unfortunately for Newcastle tends to be the most important).
“We can only sort it ourselves. It’s all about up-front. We need more.”
Where exactly does ‘more’ come from? Do the Jets just need time to gain confidence and find a rhythm? Is the absence of Andrew Nabbout leaving a gaping hole in the Newcastle attack?
Is it plain old bad luck?
Only time will tell if the Jets will be able to dig their way out of this drought. However time is of the essence, and they’ll need to sort it out very soon if they’re to mount a genuine challenge to make the six.
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