Newcastle Jets coach Gary van Egmond has revealed he will start former EPL stars Emile Heskey and Michael Bridges together for the first time this season as they chase a vital win in their A-League clash with the Melbourne Heart on Friday night.
Jets' fan forums have continually called for Heskey and Bridges to be paired together in an attacking line-up this season and Van Egmond has answered the call by announcing he will definitely start the two Englishmen this weekend.
"I am actually going to start Bridgey, he and Emile will start together," Van Egmond said at the team announcement on Wednesday.
"I think it is good for a number of reasons. I think there is a number of people who would like to see it, but Bridgey (Bridges) deserves it.
"It is not done for the fact that people think that it should be happening. As I have said before, if I listen to the fans there is a good chance I will end up sitting with the fans.
"But he (Bridges) deserves it and he deserves his opportunity to get there. He gives you that experience and he can put his foot on the ball when necessary and I know he is looking forward to it.
"And for the public who would love to see to ex-Premier League players together I just hope a big crowd gets out and really supports it."
Van Egmond reasoned that the change in personnel was due to the fact that the Jets need more players with attacking instinct inside the penalty box.
The Jets have competed well in the midfield this season but have been found wanting in the final third.
"We are really looking at players that are goalscorers," he said.
"Emile is a goal scorer, Ryan (Griffiths) is a goal scorer, Tags (Adam Taggart) is a goal scorer, Bridgey is a goal scorer and he can also create, so we are going with an attacking line-up.
"Tags (Taggart) will definitely start. We need more people in the front third who have better instincts to score and he definitely brings that to our team.
"He is always a threat to score a goal and I feel we have not had that much of a threat."
The Jets had great success earlier this season attacking with width through the likes of Craig Goodwin and James Virgili.
But opposition teams have been able to combat that threat and limit the supply of quality deliveries to Heskey.
In last weekend's match the Western Sydney Wanderers nullified Newcastle's wide attack and it was only when they went through the middle of the park late in the game that they looked like scoring.
"It is not something that is done naturally - it is more so the personnel," reasoned Van Egmond.
"Both Craig (Goodwin) and James (Virgili) are out and out wingers ... the likes of Adam (Taggart) and Ryan (Griffiths), when they play in the wide areas, they tend to tuck in and play more like the old inside left and inside right striker, and that is because they have good instincts coming inside, where as the other two are looking more to take people on in that wide area and put crosses into the box.
"Both Craig Goodwin and James (Virgili) have been really good this year, and they have done some good things, but it is their instincts inside the box that perhaps let them down a little bit."
"So someone like Adam who has great instincts in the box we feel he can take advantage of the number of times we get the ball forward.
"In regards to giving width it might not be from the Adam and Ryan giving us that width it might be more our fullbacks going out wide."
The Jets boss stressed that his side must secure a win this weekend if they want to remain in the race for a finals berth and said it would be an exciting contest against the Melbourne side, who are also battling for the two remaining spots in the top six.
"It is important to get in that six and establish yourself so we want to get maximum points this weekend," Van Egmond said.
"We are not too dissimilar to us in how are seasons have gone.
"They have played some really good football at times and then they have been inconsistent at times.
"They play the game in a similar manner is regards to a possession-based game for the football purists I think it will be an enjoyable game."