Ruben Zadkovich says interim coach Clayton Zane has the full support of the players ahead of this weekend’s F3 Derby.
Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets Captain Ruben Zadkovich believes interim coach Clayton Zane has the full support of the players ahead of this weekend-s F3 Derby with the Central Coast Mariners.
Zane has been charged with leading the Jets for the rest of the season and Zadkovich feels his appointment can help turn the team-s fortunes around.
“It-s just one of those things, things weren-t working so well and the club has decided to go with Clayton and a bit of a fresh start,” he said.
“I think it-s a real positive move for the club and the players are really happy about it.
“With Clayton we-ll be trying to support him as much as we can, we-ve told him if there-s anything that we can do to help him we-re there.
“We-re confident that Clayton can do the job and more importantly we-re 100 per cent behind him and we-re looking to get runs on the board early.”
The former Socceroo has previously coached the Jets W-League and Youth League sides but despite this being his first senior role Zadkovich believes he has the attributes to be a successful A-League coach.
“I think he brings a coolness and calmness to the squad, he-ll probably instill a little bit of confidence back into the boys,” Zadkovich said.
“He-s got a wealth of experience, he was a fantastic player and there-s a lot for us to learn.
“He-s more than confident in his own ability, he knows you-ve got to start somewhere.
“If you look at someone like Tony Popovic who was a fantastic player and he-s started his career very brightly and there-s no reason why someone like Clayton, who-s an intelligent fella, can-t do the same.”
Speaking after the team-s first training session under Zane, Zadkovich believes the new boss will implement a number of positive changes aimed at restoring the team-s confidence.
“It was very bright, very positive, it was a little bit of a refreshing change at training, something different, and Clayton brings a calmness and coolness to the job and it was a really good session,” Zadkovich said.
“We do want to give the fans something to cheer about I think that-s what Clayton-s talking about, he wants to really involve the crowd in the way we play and entertain the crowd.
“He wants to strip things back, go back to basics and simplify the game plan a little bit. I think that will bring back a little bit of confidence to the team and individuals.”
