In this weeks’ Jets Insider, defender Josh Mitchell is answering questions submitted by Jets Members and supporters.
This interview was exclusive to Jets Insider subscribers. Each week the Jets Insider will be sent to your inbox but you need to first register to ensure you get the news as it is sent. To sign up, simply CLICK HERE.
In this weeks- Jets Insider, Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets defender Josh Mitchell is answering questions submitted by Jets Members and supporters.
Mitchell speaks about playing in the A-League for his hometown Club, what he learned during his time in Romania and missing out on winning last year-s Grand Final with Perth Glory.
Luke Pierce asks via email: How have you found the transition into the Newcastle Jets?
Josh Mitchell (JM): It-s been very easy. I know my way around the area a little bit having grown up here. All the players and the staff have been very welcoming which has made settling in pretty straight forward.
Nathan Smith asks via email: Is it a more special playing in the A-League for your hometown Club?
JM: Definitely. Even when I was at Perth I was always curious as to how Newcastle was going in the A-League and that was always at the back of my mind.
I knew they were building a strong Club here, so to be able to come home and represent the place where I-m from is very special and that-s probably the same for any player in the A-League.
Joshua Ellis asks via email: You’ve had the chance to train and play a couple of games with Tiago. How is that centre-back pairing coming along?
JM: It-s coming along very well. Tiago is a very experienced player who is really comfortable on the ball and very comfortable in general play.
He-s an easy guy to play alongside at the back and hopefully we-re in the process of building a strong partnership.
Andrew Stranger asks via email: Do you see yourself stepping up as a bit of a leader in the Jets playing group this season?
JM: I hope to play that sort of role and bring a bit of experience to the team. I think it-s important for me to do what I can for the youngers guys by helping them at training and having good communication on the park.
Even though people are saying our squad is young, we still have a number of players who I consider to be leaders and that-s a great thing to have in your squad.
Osvaldo Bahamondez: Do you think the playing group are buying into Gary’s game plan?
JM: We-re training very hard and Gary is putting across his ideas about the style of football he wants us to play.
It-s not something that happens within the first couple of weeks, but definitely over the course of the pre-season you can see things improving. Players are beginning to understand how we want to play and what we want to do with the ball and without it.
All the players are on board and hopefully if we can continue to improve we-ll see the benefits of that when the season starts.
@thewestbury69 asks via Twitter: What are you aiming to achieve this season at the Jets?
JM: As a team, I think securing a home final is a very realistic aim, but qualifying for finals football is obviously the first step towards that.
As an individual, I just want to contribute to the Club building success and play a key role in what we achieve this season.
Adam Mills asks via email: How do you think the experience of playing in Romania helped you as a footballer?
JM: It-s made me appreciate what we have here and the conditions that we work under here in the A-League.
It-s helped me to improve footballing wise in terms of technique and adapting to different styles of football and I learned a lot about the game during my five years playing over there.
Joe Dominguez asks via email: How would you compare the standard of where you played in Europe to the A-League?
JM: It-s hard to compare the two leagues because the style of play is different. In Romania the pace of the game tends to be a bit slower.
Individually, the players over there might be a bit better and a bit more technical, but as a team they don-t always work as well together because they-re not quite as disciplined.
Lucia Hernandez asks via email: Does being part of Perth Glory-s squad that lost the Grand Final last year motivate you more to win the A-League?
JM: It was a great experience to be a part of it all, even though I didn-t get the chance to get on the pitch.
It was great to be part of the squad and play my part to help us get there, but once you get that close and can almost taste that success, the desire definitely becomes stronger to go a step further.
Giselle Rauchelle asks via email: Who is the best player you’ve ever played with or against? Why?
JM: I would have to say a Romanian guy by the name of Dorel Stoica. He was an excellent player who ticked every box you could ask for. His technique was fantastic, he was big and strong, smart, could use both feet and had everything going for him.
In the A-League I-d have to say Shane Smeltz. Last season he scored four goals in one game and a hat-trick in another one and he just seems to be able to score goals all the time at whatever Club he plays at.
For next week-s Jets Insider interview, Newcastle Jets head coach Gary van Egmond will answer YOUR questions. Simply tweet your question using the #JetsInsider hashtag or send your question to communications@huntersportsgroup.com by COB Tuesday. Then check back in Jets Insider next week to see if your question is answered.
This interview was exclusive to Jets Insider subscribers. Each week the Jets Insider will be sent to your inbox but you need to first register to ensure you get the news as it is sent. To sign up, simply CLICK HERE.
