Strap in, Central Coast A-League Men fans, coach Nick Montgomery is promising a bold style to ensure the Mariners 2020-21 campaign isn’t just a flash in the pan.
After a wretched run including four wooden spoon finishes in five seasons, the Mariners were one of the revelations of the past campaign as Alen Stajcic guided them to a third-place finish and a first finals appearance since 2014.
The pride of that achievement was dampened somewhat by a 2-0 loss to Macarthur in the finals and the unexpected exit of Stajcic just days later.
Montgomery, a former Mariners player who has been in pivotal role with the club’s academy in bringing talent including Alou Kuol, Dan Hall, Jordan Smylie and Max Balard into the first team, was appointed as Stajcic’s replacement in July.
Having completed his UEFA Pro Licence coaching certificate during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Mariners job will be the first senior coaching role for Montgomery, who made more than 300 appearances for Sheffield United during his playing career.
However, the Englishman is undaunted at building on Stajcic’s transformative work at the Mariners, arguing it gives him a platform to take the club back to their glory days in the late 2000s and early 2010s when they won the premiers plate twice and the 2013 grand final.
“When you’re a coach you don’t want to take away the good things that they had last year and that was that togetherness and team spirit, but I want to play an exciting, attacking brand of football,” Montgomery told AAP.
“Looking at the back players that we had last year, (Mark) Birighetti is a fantastic goalkeeper, Kai Rowles, Ruon Tongyik, young players – Lewis Miller, Dan Hall and a few others coming through.
“In front of that I think it’s no surprise that we were one of the lowest scorers in the league.
“That’s one area, when you look at performance last season, is we need to score more goals and if you score goals you’ve got an opportunity to win games of football.
“That’s one thing I’ve been working really hard on.
“For me it’s an opportunity to build on last season and hopefully push the club on for the future.”
Smylie is one of several players who exited Gosford in the off-season, along with Germany-bound Kuol, attacking midfielder Danny De Silva, Socceroos hopeful Gianni Stensness and fullback Jack Clisby.
Montgomery has recruited French attacking player Beni Nkololo and experienced German Nicolai Muller, after the midfielder’s Western Sydney Wanderers exit, while New Zealand international Storm Roux returns to the club.
Costa Rica international Marco Urena has signed a new two-year deal after impressing in his debut campaign in Australia last season.
“I doubt the league will be harder this season, which is why I’ve been working really hard to put together a squad, which, in my eyes, is going to be competitive against everybody in the league,” Montgomery said.
“Look at the visa players. Marcos Urena, he’s played in World Cups, top striker and I think everybody saw that towards the second part of the season when he got fit.
“Nikolai, top quality player, top human as well. Experienced, he’s played in the Bundesliga and played international as well.
“For us to manage to get players of that calibre to come to the Mariners, they’re coming for the love of playing football
“We don’t have the luxury of offering the salaries elsewhere so the fact they came here … I spoke to them and explained my vision of this season and for the club moving forward and they’ve bought into it straight away.”
josh
Guest
That Brisbane are barely better than NPL standard these days, in performance and size of the club. Their only hope is the transfer fee system so they can cash in on players like DWH
Pork Chop
Roar Rookie
Wow !!!. So much criticism of what so called “experts” thought they saw and what they thought they knew of the Mariners and their owner. If you were to say they won’t win the league ….. I would agree with you……… they probably won’t. We here on the Central Coast are more positive that the club has a good handle on the season coming and couldn’t be happier with our owner’s selection of coaching staff. Even through the worst period of any club’s history the owner has hung in there ……… made some horrendous decisions with coaches but still hung in there. Couple of years ago when the new a-league idea was floated our owner declared his commitment to the new league and has honoured that commitment to 3rd place in the season ……… 2nd place if winning the last game hadn’t meant a commitment to asia that Stajcic wanted but couldn’t without the extra funding………. Reading between the lines here with Stajcic walking straight after supposedly inexplicably. Montgomery has hopefully added what what was missing last season……… I can see it and I don’t have any sought of coaching licence………. You don’t need a coaching certificate to see that a corner kick is a failure if it doesn’t clear the first defender, or if penetration into the final third is non existent or so rare that most forays ended in a backpass. The group of experts that I hang out with are all expecting a place in the finals. A lot of money has been spent on recruiting teams of champions. Not a lot needs to be spent plugging a few holes from last seasons well earned 3rd place.
Hudddo
Roar Rookie
monty was a natural DM, who's now a coach in a low funded team, defence will still be the key this year, attack on the transition is what he has built his team for.
Saffi
Roar Rookie
I really enjoyed watching CCM for most of last season (Simon lost a lot of momentum in the second half of the season). I hope they can continue to grow the team. No reason to doubt Montgomery.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
This club will prob surprise again this season. Good luck CCM.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
With the disruption to the early part of the season, anything can happen. We might need to be two-thirds through the season before we get a good handle on all the teams - assuming things have settled down, which is far from assured.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Roar were only 9 points off 1st place. Adelaide only 10 points. Both ended the season with horrendous schedules. What’s your point again?
Melange
Guest
We've established a solid spine and capable defence. For the first time in years are not starting from scratch after another failed season. Potentially improved personnel in the attacking third. Biggest loss will be Stensness, he had an incredible season and we hit a rut when he was missing with injury. Depth in full back positions is a risk we wear every year. If Monty gets the attack right we're looking good.
Waz
Roar Rookie
I watched their matches last season - their approach was based on defence (the presence of a high press doesn’t change that). If this article is correct and “attack” is Montgomery’s focus I feel he’s signed his own death warrant (figuratively speaking of course).
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I though it gave the non Sydney teams a false confidence mainly in they were playing against the biggest duds of the year in MV, and also City were duds early on as well. Roar and Adelaide thought they were the big contenders from that early period on the assumption Mariners would fade and weren't that good. They got the Mariners part right thanks to Stajic but the rest wrong. If you finally have a good young prospect player in an A-league club why do you think the highest bidder is going to be another A-league club, given the only super rich A-league club have used Man City as a loophole to get around this . Just as deluded as Roar and Adelaide were thinking this will open up some magical rivers of gold.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
They had a high press at the start of the season, if you watched there matches then.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
yup, very tough season ahead for the mariners. the only saving grace is they'll play 6 matches in NSW to start, so they might get a bit of momentum up - and we know what momentum did to a few of the NSW teams, (including the mariners) last season with all those matches in a row at 'home' domestic transfer fees need to get introduced asap, there are some really good kids there they can cash in on
Waz
Roar Rookie
So, literally the opposite of what Stajic did last season - a rock solid defence, low block, attack on the counter. Montgomery gone by Christmas. Mariners for the Spoon by a country mile - this owner has learned nothing.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The Mariners last season started off very well conceeding few and scoring goals , with good pressing. The addition of Urena and Janota bore fruit for the opposition with them suddenly conceeding three goals in one half when Stajic gave them priority and started them over a team which was top of the table. There is no point adding an attacking player if they are not doing their share of the pressing. A fundemental problem in the A-league is handing out hall passes to senior players that lets them laze around and then screaming at young players to run here and there and cover for them. We could hear Rudan on the blower to young players constantly in the match to run here and there. We also saw Stajic masterplan in the final with Urena standing around and Bouman running in from the wing to do his pressing. Thats the fundemental issue with Montgomery is he going to get Urena and Mueller up to fitness and get them to do their fair share of the work or is he going to be another Rudan. Also wonder how much of the Matildas comments had to with directing criticism at younger players and allowing senior players to do whatever they want when Stajic was in charge. We also see Man U victims of this with Ronaldo. Ronaldo is setting new records in lack of movement in the EPL, mainly because he is a prima donna. Why the coach is concerned about resting him is ridiculous he is not moving enough to get tired, the rest of the team however because of the extra work they have to do will get exhausted.