It seems every man and his dog are in the running for the vacant Newcastle Jets job. With local Mark Jones jettisoned, the A-League club needs a new coach again.
Already ex-English Premier League strikers Robbie Fowler, Michael Bridges and Teddy Sheringham have put themselves forward. All are big names and have loads of playing experience, but little in the way of actual coaching experience.
Then there’s the usual A-League suspects thrown into the mix – Mike Mulvey, Ernie Merrick, Mark Rudan, Aurelio Vidmar, Tony Vidmar, Ante Milicic, Damian Mori, Arthur Papas and so on. Mulvey and Merrick were sacked from their last A-League jobs, Aurelio Vidmar struggled with the Olyroos and the rest have never coached an A-League club.
Newcastle officials say they want an experienced coach after going with a string of first-timers unsuccessfully in Jones, Scott Miller before him and Phil Stubbins before him. But there’s one name that stands out from the pack, ticking virtually all the boxes: Josep Gombau Balague. The crafty Catalan is the man to fix the ailing Jets.
He may be not be Australian but Gombau has been coaching for more than half his life, he’s 40 now. He spent five years as a youth academy coach at Barcelona and his teams are known for playing with style and substance.
The Spaniard had four seasons coaching in Hong Kong with Kitchee and won two league titles, two FA Cups and one League Cup. He is used to winning and picking up trophies wherever he has been.
In July 2013 he landed in the A-League with Adelaide United. In two short years he turned Adelaide around, from a mid-table club into a proper contender. Gombau transformed the Reds into a possession-based football team that was modern, positive and exciting to watch.
He brought in Sergio Cirio and Isaias Sanchex, who along with Marcelo Carrusca, helped to add some Latin flair and creativity to the entire competition. In his first season Adelaide finished sixth and were knocked out in week one of the finals. He was also unafraid to promote youth, bringing through talent such as Awer Mabil and Bruce Kamau.
In Gombau’s second season in South Australia he signed Pablo Sanchez, Craig Goodwin, James Jeggo and Dylan McGowan. Goodwin, Jeggo and McGowan all thrived under his coaching, with two of them then breaking into the Socceroo set-up and securing moves to European clubs.
In 2014 under him, the Reds won the inaugural FFA Cup. They finished third in the A-League, qualifying for the Asian Champions League, and were one game away from reaching the grand final. Again he promoted youth, with Mark Ochieng and Bruce Kamau getting opportunities that wouldn’t have been there under other coaches.
It was under Gombau’s invitation that former Barca star Guillermo Amor joined Adelaide as technical director. When Gombau left the club, in July 2015, Amor took over the head coaching role. Continuing the good work Gombau had started, Adelaide went on to the win the double in 2016.
Players rave about working under Gombau. Ex-Socceroo Jon McKain said this about the Spanish manager: “ "He’s a great coach, a great guy and we had a great team that year…. I really enjoyed my time at Adelaide”.
Another former Australian international, Ryan Griffiths, praised Gombau: “I personally would like to see a manager like Josep Gombau come in that can bring a family culture and unite the fans and team together,” he told FourFourTwo. “Gombau was the best coach I've had in my whole career.
“It felt like I wasn't trying when I played my stint in Adelaide. What I mean is he that the play was effortless and you had a job and you just did your job and trust your teammates to do their job. He has a system and sticks by it. I think a coach with characteristics like him would suit Newcastle."
Not only would Gombau get the Jets playing positive, attacking football but he improves those playing under him. The likes of Tarek Elrich became internationals because of how they developed through his coaching. Players also love playing for him. He is a passionate individual, known for his knee-slides and wild sideline celebrations. He will get Jets fans on side and entertain the media, and he’s not afraid to take them on either with a “your son’s a shit goalkeeper” line or two.
The manager from Amposta knows the A-League, knows the ins and outs of the competition and has a history of backing youth, which is a perfect fit for Newcastle. At Adelaide he tried to lift the standard of football across the entire state, not just at the club, and god knows Northern NSW needs it. Yes Gombau currently has a job, in charge of the Australian Under-23 team, but like Paul Okon with the Young Socceroos, surely the Jets can convince FFA to let him out of his contract.
Central Coast were in trouble and Okon has done well to start their revival. The Jets are an even bigger basket case and need someone with the skills, experience, confidence and talent of a Josep Gombau. Newcastle need to see past the celebrity of some of the candidates and aim for a man who has a track record that demands respect.
