JETS chief executive Lawrie McKinna will wait until confirmation of a change in ownership before appointing a new coach but has indicated a replacement for Carl Robinson is likely to be based in Australia.
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Robinson on Wednesday exercised an exit clause, 10 games into a three-and-a-half year contract with the Jets, to defect to rivals Western Sydney.
Assistant coach Kenny Miller has joined the Welshman at Wanderers, but McKinna has ruled out the possibility of any Jets players following them down the freeway.
"I can assure the fans that will not happen," he said. "There are no get-out clauses. The players are contracted."
Robinson brought in Bernie Ibini, who played under the Welshman at Vancouver, and Joe Ledley not long after arriving in Newcastle, and recently added exciting youngster Ramy Narjjine on loan from Melbourne City.
"I gave Bernie his debut in the A-League [at the Central Coast Mariners] and have a strong relationship with him," McKinna said. "With Ramy, Joel Griffiths, through the player's agent Vinnie Grella, recommended him to Carl."
In the space of 24 hours, McKinna has received resumes from 10 prospective coaches, including three from overseas.
"I am compiling a list and when the new owner gets approval from the FFA to the next stage, I will discuss those names with them," McKinna said. "It will depend which way the new owner leans, but I would say, due to COVID, it will be a local coach. We know the problems we had getting Carl's and Kenny's family in. The amount of work myself, Joel and FFA did to get them over the line was massive."
If the new coach is from these shores - and there is no shortage of quality candidates led by John Aloisi - he is unlikely to be afforded the same exit clauses that allowed Robinson to depart.
"It is a totally different game," McKinna said. "When you bring in coaches from overseas, to sign them long-term, you have to give them allowances. It's the same with players. If we were desperate to get a player, you might give them a special deal - an out clause, capped transfer fee or whatever it is.
"That is normal football practice. That is how you balance up what you can afford.
"We have not had any money from our owner since October 2019, yet we brought in Bernie Ibini, Joe Ledley, Roy O'Donovan and Connor O'Toole to refresh the team. You can't bring in overseas coaches and do all that stuff on fresh air. That's why you have to give them a bit of leeway."
McKinna said the ownership situation had progressed in the past 24 hours and he was confident Football Federation Australia would rubber stamp the sale.
The Jets begin preseason training on Monday-week which will be conducted by the remaining coaching and strength-and-conditioning staff.
"Nothing changes," McKinna said. "Pre-season is pre-season. We will have four staff at training who know every player and have all coached and have experience.
"We came back so strong from the COVID break because of the work Brice Johnson (strength and conditioning coach) and Nathan Renwick (physiotherapist) did with the players."
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