Jets duo Jason Hoffman and Andrew Hoole know the team must become more resolute defensively in the final third of the regular season if the Club is to achieve its goal of qualifying for the Hyundai A-League Finals Series.
Hoffman and Hoole each etched their names on the scoresheet last Saturday night against Perth Glory – Hoffman netting his first of the campaign, Hoole his fifth.
And while two goals in most football matches would normally ensure that a team collects at least a point for their efforts, the Jets conceded three times against Perth Glory to depart Western Australia empty-handed.
“I thought defensively we weren’t good enough on the weekend,” an honest and open Hoffman told local media this week. “There are numerous reasons why goals are scored, let alone the last error.”
“As a team we need to be more focused in those crucial areas and make sure that we are desperate like we were a couple of weeks ago against Melbourne City.”
“We will have to be extra switched on this week (against Melbourne Victory). Melbourne City has some quality and we defended fantastically well two weeks ago against them.”
“There is no reason why we can’t, at home, beat a quality Melbourne Victory team,” he said.
Like Hoffman, Hoole believes big strides in the Jets’ game can be made if they reduce their defensive errors.
The Jets current rank fifth in the league for attack (26 goals scored), but equal seventh in defence (32 goals conceded).
“I thought on the ball we had some good patches (against Perth) but obviously conceding three goals away from home, you make it hard for yourself to win the match,” Hoole said. “So we need to fix things up at the back and make sure we get back to basics, trying to keep clean sheets.”
“We shot ourselves in the foot with the goals we conceded. We need to fix that up and if we can do that then we will go close to winning more games.”
“It’s our own individual mistakes that are costing us goals, so one on one individually we need to do a better job,” he said.
The Jets host Melbourne Victory at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Monday at 7:50pm. Click here to purchase match tickets.
