At a time when attention has inevitably been focused on the Jets' long-term future, amid convoluted and still-unresolved takeover talks, the short-term outlook is also of serious concern, after the team's slide to second-last on the ladder.

With five games remaining, Newcastle (20 points) are in a dogfight with Adelaide (22), Perth (21) and last-placed Western United (19) to avoid the ignominy of finishing in the competition cellar. Adding to the pressure mounting on Newcastle, all three of those aforementioned rivals have a game in hand.

Winless in their past eight starts (four draws, four losses), the Jets will be hoping for a breakthrough victory against Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

A loss, or even a draw, could leave them clinging to the bottom rung on the A-League ladder.

Alternatively, while the Jets bowed out of the finals race weeks ago, they could potentially finish as high as eighth if they enjoyed a charmed run home.

"If you look at the competition, it's so close ... things change really quickly," Jets coach Rob Stanton said.

"And we have the ability to change that ourselves."

Asked about the wooden spoon, Stanton said his team "haven't been there at this stage [in last place] all year" and go into every game believing they can win.

"Whatever will be will be," he said.

"But we don't want excuses ... we need to make it happen, and that's the challenge.

"The next step for the group is to get back-to-back wins and get enough points to keep us there."

He said his players had been given time off during the international break to "freshen their minds", and provided an insight into the "distractions" they have endured, as they wait to learn whether a new ownership group will step in to save their club from the scrapheap.

"They've all got stresses and things on top of playing, so it's double the stress at the moment for them," Stanton said.

"So they're managing that really well for a young group.

"I'm happy with the way they're coping.

"Hopefully when they get on the pitch they think about football, and the rest will take care of itself."

Stanton says his understanding of the takeover negotiations is that there are "really positive signs" behind the scenes.

"If's been ongoing," he said. "I think if it wasn't going to happen, they probably would have left by now."