Carl Robinson is back in the country ahead of our July 21 season restart, currently holed up in the early parts of a 14-day quarantine stint in a Sydney hotel.
Isolation means the Welshman has plenty of time to work on all things Jets, with the Head Coach in constant contact with those on the ground here in Newcastle.
Robinson spoke to media from his hotel room on Tuesday afternoon. Read on for the best bits, or watch the press conference below!
On his time in lockdown: “It’s been pretty difficult in Canada, it’s a little bit more serious over there… the first couple of weeks, we were unable to go out other than walking late at night. But we’re healthy.”
On the season resumption: “I’m pleased for [the players], because they get back to doing something they love. Obviously, once they step onto that field and play, and enjoy, then it’s good for supporters as well. They live their lives following the team.”
On the challenges of coaching from afar: “Lots of challenges. It’s in good hands, Deansy is looking after the group while I’m away and I speak to him on a daily basis. I give him plans that I want to incorporate during training, and I’ve kept it simple.”
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268485001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6168464692001
On the remaining fixtures: “We’ll go out and try and win the last four games. The pandemic break came at the wrong time. We were in a really, really good vein of form, the boys were playing with confidence and I was there supporting them… it’s going to be different, we need to try and hit the ground running and we probably need to try and win four games. If we don’t, then we might miss out this year.”
On the squad: “I’ll be saying to the boys that they’re all fighting for jobs next year, and to try and be part of Newcastle Jets. It’s the start of the project when I came in in February… I’m going to put demands on players. If you want to be a part of this journey, show me, and if you don’t, no problem.”
