Central Coast Mariners coach Nick Montgomery insists he’s not being disrespectful – but he couldn’t care less about the pending retirement of Melbourne City captain Scott Jamieson.
Montgomery believes Jamieson’s announcement is poorly timed in the week of the A-League men grand final.
“No disrespect but I’m not really interested in Scott Jamieson retiring,” Montgomery told reporters on Monday.
“For me, that’s not something that we should be talking about leading into a Grand Final.
“Maybe he should have waited until after (the Grand Final) and then said he’s retiring but that’s not my choice.
“I don’t think anything this week should take any headlines other than two good teams, Melbourne City and the Mariners, playing in the Grand Final.”
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Montgomery is again painting Saturday night’s grand final in Sydney as a battle between the haves, City, and his have-nots.
“I have got total respect for Melbourne City,” he said.
“They’re a fantastic team. Very, very good high-profile players. Big club, big organisation.
“It’s great for Australian football, you have got the biggest team in the competition and the smallest team playing in the final.”
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And he’s revelling in the Mariners’ on-field underdog status.
“People wrote us off,” he said.
“We sold a lot of players at the start of the season … it’s easy for people to question whether we would be able to do what we did last season, that was finish in the top six and we got to a cup final.
“But the players that we brought in, the new players that came through, the visa boys we brought in, we put a squad together that were good enough to challenge everyone and compete with everybody – and with the belief to get to the grand final and finish high up in the league.
“We haven’t finished the season. We haven’t achieved anything yet because we set out to get to the grand final.
“And you don’t go to a grand final just to compete in it. You go to win it.”
While City’s line-up boasts vast big-game know-how, Montgomery said most of his young squad had experienced high-pressure games in youth leagues and cup finals.
“It’s not just another game but … the whistle goes and it’s 11 v 11, it’s all about on the field and it’s going to be a neutral venue,” he said.
“It’s a final. We know what’s at stake.
“Everybody involved in both dressing rooms will be a little bit nervous before the game but excited as well, and that’s normal.
“What’s important is when when they step on the pitch, they’re ready and prepared.
“And we will be prepared for the game … the boys will really enjoy the occasion and hopefully we can we can put on a good performance.”
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