JETS SET TO BLOW THE MARINERS OUT OF THE WATER

Captain Kew, boss Stubbins and Flores

The Jets have been the most disappointing A-League club over the last seven seasons. Since winning the A-League Champions title in 2007/08 the Jets have made the finals once (09/10) and finished 7th three times. In a ten team competition there is no consolation in finishing mid-table. Even worse, the club has had to witness derby rival Central Coast Mariners win a title in 2012/13 and watch as they dominate the derby fixture. 

This year the Jets are being touted as wooden spoon favourites. And it's no wonder, with new manager Phil Stubbins greeted by the departures of topscorer and A-League Golden Boot, Adam Taggart along with Josh Brillante, junior Socceroo Connor Chapman, James Brown, Emile Heskey, Craig Goodwin and captain Ruben Zadkovich.. But in Newcastle's favour is the signing of striker Jeronimo Neumann, Ecuadorian Edson Montano and former Mariner Marcos Flores.

The off season recruitment has been about finding goals. Last season the Jets scoring summary reads as: 34 goals in 27 matches. On closer investigation the statistics scream goal drought. Of the 34 goals, five came in a promising victory over Wellington, and 16 were provided by Adam Taggart. Thus, Neumann and Flores are vital signings, and favourite son Joel Griffiths should not be forgotten either. 

This week in the lead up to the derby Marcos Flores lit the flame by calling out the Mariners organisation. The midfielder was disappointed in the treatment dished out to him after his full knee reconstruction in the 2013/14 season. The 28 year old said, ". . . when you get hurt in that way you feel that you are going to get support and they didn’t (support me). After three years in this country I packed my suitcase thinking that I wasn’t going to come back."

Flores and that infectious attitude

But the Argentine is back, and he's just the antidote for a disjointed Newcastle attack. Despite the numerous Young Socceroos that Gary van Egmond had recruited to the club, the Jets appeared to be a team of individuals in 2013/14. If injury free Flores will provide the link between defence and attack, and his infectious enthusiasm should bind the team.

As for the derby, the odds are stacked against the Jets. They've won once in 16 visits to Central Coast and the Mariners haven't been beaten in the last five clashes with Newcastle. Add to that the fact the Jets crashed out of the FFA Cup in the first round, and you wonder about the intelligence of the above headline. But Newcastle are a club ready to blast off. There is just far too much class in the team for them to continue under performing. At $4.00 punters would be mad not to take the odds in the derby.

ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL, SEOULED OUT

We're now into the second leg of the Asian Champions League semi-final. On the west side of the draw, Al Hilal have secured their final berth (4-2 agg.), but on the east side it's all to play for. Last season's beaten finalists FC Seoul face Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta, after a scoreless draw in the first leg in Seoul.

Cha Du-ri challenged by Labinot Haliti

Undefeated in their last 13 matches FC Seoul sit 5th in the K-League Classic, and are eager to return to the Asian Champions League Final. The team from the capital have some interesting stats heading into tonight's semi-final. In their last 13 matches (including all competitions) they have conceded just 6 goals and scored 18 goals. Impressive. But it's important to note that FC Seoul scored 5 goals in one match against Incheon back on the 16th August. So apart from a rare day when it all came together, FC Seoul are averaging around one goal a game. That said, manager Choi, Yong Soo was adamant the first goal would be vital and assured Korean fans saying, "We have a lot of strategies to deal with them so we are prepared."

With the Wanderers still 9 days from the kick off of the domestic season, it's hard to get a line of form for them. In the lead up to their shock two-leg victory over Guangzhou Evergrande, Wanderers had stumbled over non league Canberra 1-0 in a friendly, before being knocked out of Australia's FFA Cup by second tier club Adelaide City.

Somehow, three weeks after their giant killing effort against Guangzhou, Wanderers slogged out a 0-0 draw in Seoul, minus Tomi Juric, Brendan Santalab, Shannon Cole and Matthew Spiranovic. They'll be without Spiranovic again in the semi, but importantly goalscorers Juric and Santalab are back. This should give Wests the edge.

In addition to that FC Seoul made their incredible run to the ACL Final last year with the aid of Dejan Damjanovic. But big Dejan is no longer in Korea, he is now plying his trade alongside his former FC Seoul teammate Ha, Dae-sung at Beijing Guoan.

So on the basis that FC Seoul are unlikely to spring new tactics in a foreign land, I see Wanderers coming away victors. The home team has the cutting edge of rookie Socceroo Tomi Juric, and at some stage his influence should prove the difference. Though midfielder FC Seoul's Molina proved hard to handle in his 45 minutes in the first leg, he is no Dejan Damjanovic, and the player has received limited game time all season. Wanderers are a happy, hard working and cohesive unit. FC Seoul are not.