Merrick looks to next season after Jets fail in front of goal

The season is all but over for the Newcastle Jets but there is no rest for Ernie Merrick, who is already planning for next season.

Jets coach Ernie Merrick is already looking to next season

The season is all but over for the Newcastle Jets but there is no rest for coach Ernie Merrick, who is ­already in planning mode for next season.

Mathematically, last season’s beaten grand finalists are a remote chance of playing finals football — they are seven points off sixth-placed Melbourne City with three games left in the regular season. Merrick has admitted he doesn’t believe in miracles, which is why he will be looking to continue to promote some young players, as well as look to the market for additions to his squad.

“I can’t see the team above us losing three games in a row so we will stick with our youngsters and give more game time to some ­others to get them used to the game plan and to be confident on the ball,” Merrick said. “We have a few young guys in already, so the more these guys play the better it will be for next season.”

Merrick said he is looking to give 17-year-old prodigy Jack Simmons a run at some stage, but it will unlikely be against competition leaders Perth Glory at HBF Park on Sunday.

“That would be a tough call to put him in against a team like Perth, but his time will come,” Merrick said.

It has been a tough season for the Jets, who were rated one of the championship contenders after Merrick led them to second spot last season before they fell 1-0 to Melbourne Victory in the grand final.

One of the reasons for their fall from grace is that they have struggled for consistency in front of goal. Last season they managed a whopping 57 goals, but have scored just 32 this season.

“We are keen to finish on a high note because, for one reason or ­another, it hasn’t worked out for the finals but it should have,” ­Merrick said.

“All the statistics are in our favour but the most important stat, goals scored, hasn’t been in our favour. Goals against are fine, ­entries into the penalty box, the number of shots on target … we lead just about all those stats.

“The boys want to make up for that for all our fans.”

Still, he is under no illusions about the job ahead against a Perth side that will be primed to seal the Premiers Plate in front of their home fans. He is expecting an intense game.

The West Australians are six ahead of Sydney FC and even if the Sky Blues beat Western Sydney the night before, a Glory win would mean their superior goal difference would be enough to see them through to their first trophy in the A-League era.

“It will be very important for Perth to win at home to seal the premiership, so it will be a much more intense game,” Merrick said. “But it would be a good for us as well, especially with the younger players to get more experience under their belt and to know what it is like to go to Perth and play a very, very good side like (coach) Tony Popovic has put together.

“It will also be a good opportunity to gauge where we are at and to judge what we will need to do in pre-season and what type of players we will need to bring in next season.”