Merrick was axed after the club's 4-0 loss to Melbourne Victory and with the Jets sitting bottom of the A-League with just two wins from 11 games this season.

McKinna said the decision to replace Merrick was purely down to the recent results, which have included heavy losses to both Melbourne City and Perth Glory.

"It was just results. You could see there was no fight there [against Victory]," he said.

"We’ve still got a chance of the finals, we’re six points off top six. We’ve still got enough games to turn things around and make the top six, so that’s why the decision. It’s a results-driven business.

"It’s not easy telling your mate he hasn’t got a job anymore. But it was a decision I thought was for the betterment of the club to move forward to change the fortunes of the club.

"It’s losing by so many goals, and you’re not going to blame that on the defence or the midfield, it’s the team that’s conceding the goals.

"It’s not just one player. Time had gone. I had to make a decision. As a club, we just thought it was the right time."

McKinna is hopeful of appointing a new head coach within the next fortnight.

"Age doesn’t matter, it just depends on the person," he said. "We need to get a quick fix, but that’s not staying we’ll get it done this weekend. We'll look to start interviews next week.

"Someone who can come in and work with the squad the rest of this season and build it for the next season as well."

The Jets face league leaders Sydney FC at home this Friday.

"We need the players step up," McKinna said. "I can’t give them confidence, they need that belief in each other."