Scott Miller was left frustrated by another toothless performance from Newcastle Jets, demanding his squad give him more for the remainder of the campaign.
The Jets failed to get a single shot on target at ANZ Stadium as Sydney FC eased to a 2-0 win on Saturday night.
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After a strong start to the campaign, the Hunter club haven’t won in 10 games and are free-falling towards the bottom of the Hyundai A-League ladder.
“My expectation and the coaching staff’s expectation is we need a lot more,” a dejected Miller said.
“Warranted that the team is playing to their maximum but sometimes you need extra effort. Especially going down 1-0 at half-time, you need that extra effort, extra desire and commitment.
“It’s a hard thing because a lot of players are playing to their maximum at the moment.
“I’m expecting a lot more from this playing group,” he added.
“If they can’t handle it…they need to come with the team and develop and realise that this is a high pressure environment and our expectation is massive.”
Miller’s main aim since taking over the Jets has been to make them hard to breakdown, and for the most part he has done just that.
But the results haven’t followed as his troops stick to a rigid system. Asked if it could be time for a tweak to his philosophy, Miller was defiant.
“It’s not about tactics and changing system. It’s about improving the personnel and improving the individual and that’s our focus,” he said.
“That’s the job of a coach, the tactical and technical elements are put in place, they [the players] proved they can play that level of football, they’ve done that, it’s just improving week on week out.”
Newcastle’s blank in front of goal means they have now equalled a Hyundai A-League record by going six straight games without scoring.
Their goalless streak currently stands at 559 minutes, just shy of New Zealand Knights’ 608 minutes without finding the back of the net in the 2006/07 season.
“Records are there to be broken and we’ve broken a poor one,” Miller conceded.
“There’s nothing more to be said because it takes one goal. It’s a responsibility now to shirk that tag and move on from it.
“They are all very good players, very talented players and they are here for a reason. It’s our job as coaching staff to support them.
“It’s been challenging for everyone but it’s not about being disappointed. We’re aware of the run, it’s our responsibility to turn it.”
