Dutchy Keeping His Own Counsel

Newcastle Herald

Friday February 22, 2008

By RENEE VALENTINE

JETS coach Gary van Egmond has used a "horses for courses" approach to choose his starting side this season, and his method will be no different for the biggest soccer game in Newcastle history.

The Newcastle mentor has shown he is not afraid to make changes he has not named the same starting team two games in a row and hinted he could again mix things up for the A-League decider.

"I've always been one where I'll make changes for the fact that I think this is the best team to play against this opposition and I'm not one to just say, 'Well, we'll just keep the same team until it loses,' " van Egmond said.

"I don't want to lose in the first place.

"It may be something a little bit different again this week. We don't play open-hand poker, and we'll keep a few things closer to ourselves."

Van Egmond surprised Queensland in the preliminary final last weekend when he threw Adam D'Apuzzo in at left back and pushed Matt Thompson forward into an attacking role. It proved a masterstroke as Thompson scored in the 3-2 victory.

Van Egmond said he was happy with the efforts of both D'Apuzzo and Thompson against the Roar but was non-committal on whether they would retain those positions.

The only commitment van Egmond would make was to indicate South Korean midfielder Song Jin-hyung would be in the squad.

Song started in Newcastle's 3-0 loss to the Mariners in the second leg of the major semi-final then was impressive off the bench when the Jets beat Queensland 3-2.

Grand finals are often determined in a penalty shoot-out, but van Egmond has not put an emphasis on spot kicks.

"I'm one not to over-dramatise that one a little bit too much as well I think it's whoever feels good at the time," van Egmond said.

"We've been through penalty shoot-outs last year and we've probably practised a few times prior to Central Coast and Queensland, but it's not something we'll do for half an hour."

Meanwhile, Jets midfielder James Holland could not complete training yesterday due to quadriceps tightness, but van Egmond said it was only a precautionary measure.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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