- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Perth Glory owner Tony Sage has fired a stern barb towards the player group, claiming they should take a large slice of the blame for Dave Mitchell’s decision to step down as coach.
Mitchell shocked the A-League fraternity on Tuesday when he announced he would hand over the coaching reins to his assistant Ian Ferguson in order to take up a director of coaching role at the club.
Both men have signed on to their new roles until at least the end of next season.
Sage warned Mitchell at the start of the season that his contract wouldn’t be extended if he failed to guide the club to a top-four finish.
And with the club currently sitting in seventh place on the table following a club-record four straight losses, Mitchell saw the writing on the wall.
“The players have got to take a lot of responsibility for this,” Sage said.
“We’re losing … a good coach in this process but we’ve got to move forward.
“Look, if professional players need (the) motivation of sacking a coach to play (well) … it’s not good enough.
“But look Fergie thinks that he can get a lot out of the players.
“I believe that he can. I think the playing group that Mitch has assembled is a very good playing group but you just can’t lose four games in a row.”
Mitchell, who guided the club to 24 wins, 14 draws and 30 losses during his time in charge, denied suggestions he had lost the support of his players, revealing he had been considering the switch for more than six months.
“There’s a lot of emotion there with the players, I’m very close with some of them,” Mitchell said.
“I think they’re disappointed … they’re upset.
“(But) there’s things I want to do and sometimes I felt I was tied to the training ground.
“(I want) to make the club a better club and a bigger club and Tony’s got great ambitions and I certainly want to be part of that.
“It’s a positive step, it’s not a negative step.
“Look, I can see a bigger picture and I think Tony can as well.”
Ferguson, the former North Queensland coach who was lured to Perth at the end of last season when his contract at the Fury was controversially terminated, said his rise to the Glory top job was a bitter-sweet moment.
“I’m obviously delighted to have it but there’s a touch of sadness there getting a job this way,” Ferguson said.
“… I would have liked to have worked a bit longer with him (Mitchell) as an assistant coach but I’ve got the opportunity now, the buck stops with me, I’m the head coach and looking forward and relishing the challenge.”
Ironically, Ferguson’s first game in charge will be against his old club North Queensland at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Friday night.
But Glory marquee man Robbie Fowler, also an ex-Fury man, won’t be there after staying an extra week in England due to family issues.
“He’s had a couple of personal problems that he’s got to try and fix over there but he’ll be back on Tuesday,” Ferguson said.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.