Behind Enemy Lines: The 5 Jets to watch

From new signings to old foes, the new look Newcastle Jets are not to be taken lightly this Tuesday night.

Whilst being a competitive game, the Westfield FFA Cup clash in Broadmeadow is set in the thick of the Hyundai A-League pre-season, and will showcase the early intentions of both clubs in their quest to achieve finals football.

For Glory to make the next round of the cup competition, it’s imperative the club cuts out the key figures for the Novocastrian side. Firstly, we start on the sidelines.

 

1.Scott Miller, Head Coach
Matches up against: Kenny Lowe

Scott Miller is young. Scott Miller is new. Scott Miller is unknown in Australia. There’s absolutely no doubt that the 33-year-old will be hungry to prove a point in his first game and there’s no better occasion for the ex-Fulham U21 coach to do it against the Jets’ bogey team. With the Jets last win over Glory coming over 4 years ago, Lowe will do his utmost to outwit his unknown, young counterpart on Tuesday night.

 

2.Nigel Boogard, centre-back
Likely match-up; Chris Harold

One of the Hyundai A-League’s best defenders, Hunter-Valley local Boogard returns to his hometown after 10 stellar years with Central Coast Mariners and Adelaide United. Besides being physically strong and a great distributor from the back, Boogard is a leader of men and a key player bringing resilience and drive back to the Jets. Likely striker Harold will need to be on his game and exploit Boogard’s pace to find the back of the net on Tuesday night.

 

3. Mateo Poljak, central-defensive midfield
Likely match-up; Gyorgy Sandor

After Ruben Zadkovich left Newcastle to join Glory out West, the Jets lacked a midfield general to dictate the tempo of their games. Poljak is that new maestro; he’s tough, he’s set to be the Jets’ key distributor and he has a rocket of a long shot. The Croatian will face-off against Glory’s new-signing and midfield engine Gyorgy Sandor in a battle to control the midfield in the cup clash.

 

4. Enver Alivodic, winger or attacking midfielder
Likely match-up; Josh Risdon

Alivodic popped up late in the season for the Jets, scoring crucial goals that kept Newcastle’s points tally respectable. The Jets’ pocket rocket has a quick burst of pace, low centre of gravity and particularly has an opportunistic eye for goal. Josh Risdon will most likely target the 30-year-old Serbian throughout the match and be focused on anticipating his every move.

 

5.Labinot Haliti, striker
Likely match-up; Dino Djulbic and Michael Thwaite

After an impressive stint at Western Sydney Wanderers, Labinot Haliti returns to Newcastle Jets for the 2015-16 season. With 22 Hyundai A-League goals to his name, and the ability to play as an impact player, Haliti will be hungry to score his first goal against Glory since 2012. Thwaite and Djulbic will have to stay alert to keep the 29-year-old striker scoreless on Tuesday.

 

Newcastle Jets vs Perth Glory kicks off on Tuesday, August 11, at 6:30pm AWST at Magic Park in Broadmeadow, NSW. To watch the game, tune into Foxtel on Demand, details here: http://bit.ly/1IiQwDJ

Looking to join Perth Glory for the 2015-16 Hyundai A-League season? Join Diego Castro, Gyorgy Sandor and Perth Glory and become a member today: http://bit.ly/1ipTWHX

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