Jardim coy on future as Newport County boss

Nelson Jardim joined Swansea in 2009 and left the club following his second spell there, in 2020.

Newport County boss Nelson Jardim has admitted his future as head coach of the Exiles is unclear.

Newport are still not fully clear of League Two relegation after a poor run of results with Jardim being scrutinised by some of the County fans and his contract expiring this summer.

The ex-Swansea coach says he never wanted a long tenure as boss and cited his young family in Portugal as a reason he is calm about his future, with talks planned with chairman and owner Huw Jenkins at the end of the season.

"Talks are planned. I said it in November. When we started everything, it suited me and it suited the club to have a one-year contract," Jardim told BBC Sport Wales.

"The changes were for the club and for me as well, I have a young family and we need to assess everything.

"We didn't change the plan. That conversation has to come at the end of the season, I've always felt confident with that and since the start, I have given my life to the club, 24 hours, seven days a week.

"I will finish this season still doing that."

The Exiles travel to MK Dons on Friday with Walsall the visitors on Easter Monday.

Following a terrible end to last season where the Exiles lost eight on the spin, Jardim says it is imperative the players finish stronger than last season.

"We don't want to go and finish the season like the club finished the last one," Jardim said.

"The players know that, we've spoken about it, but it is up to them to go and deliver, to take responsibility for us losing the last game in the way we lost.

"The players have to take the responsibility for some of the results not going our way. Ultimately I am responsible but it is about them being at it and focused."

Jardim has spoken previously about players who are out of contract at the end of the season playing for their futures but he feels that ship might have now sailed.

"Some players out of contract have had enough time and chances to prove and to show what they can do. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that," he added.

"We went beyond that mark now. We need to stay as professional as we can be."

Newport are 10 points clear of the relegation zone in League Two, but not yet mathematically safe and Jardim is urging the players to stick to their task.

"We still haven't finished our job. We could have done it two or three weeks ago, but haven't quite done it yet," he said.

"No one can accuse me of selling dreams that weren't doable. We wanted a comfortable season and for the most part we've had that. Sometimes expectations went beyond what we could deliver."