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W-League Rd 1 v Sydney Away 5:30pm


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W-League: Melbourne City coach keen to make statement in club’s first season

 

October 23, 2015

David Davutovic

 

MELBOURNE City women’s coach Joe Montemurro wants to make a statement in his club’s debut W-League season and makes no apology for ­defecting from fierce rival Victory.

Montemurro led Victory to a semi-final last season before he was headhunted by City for a men’s youth position, and later appointed the club’s women’s coach as well.

Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro took a veiled swipe at Montemurro at the club’s season launch a fortnight ago, after he took seven players with him to City.

Matildas stars Lisa De Vanna and Steph Catley are away on international duty while keeper Bri Davey is ­injured, leaving Beattie Goad, Amy Jackson, Rachel Quigley and short-term signing Hanna Brewer to take on their former club at AAMI Park tomorrow, in a ­curtain-raiser to the City-­Central Coast A-League game.

“The thing that needs to be categorically said is that Melbourne Victory were effectively run by Football Federation Victoria. They did a great job but it’s just different environments, here it’s a carte blanche scenario,’’ Montemurro said.

“The last game of the ­season the contract was effectively finished and then an opportunity came up at ­Melbourne City.

“We are a start-up team, we’ve got all the background resources and I’ve had all the IP (intellectual property) from the start-up team that was Melbourne Heart, so I had some good guidance.

“The privilege for me is that I’ve got an opportunity to stamp a method and culture from day one.’’

City will have to make at least five changes from last week’s 6-0 away demolition of Sydney FC due to the international break.

Having blended local youth and experience and iced it with visa stars, Welsh striker Jess Fishlock — another former Victory player — and Scottish attacker Kim Little, City’s squad is arguably the strongest in W-League history.

Montemurro said there is a secret ingredient to success.

“The expectations come with it. A lot of our recruiting, the characters we’ve brought in are leaders and winners and that in the end will have a ­bigger say than the resources or player quality,’’ he said.

“We’ve brought in some good characters to make sure we send a message in the first year.

“It’s a privilege to be here and like last week they’ve got an opportunity to make a bit of history.

“The girls have been ­amazing, they understand the magnitude of the occasion.’’

Victory is coming off a 2-1 home loss against Perth.

 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/w-league-melbourne-city-coach-keen-to-make-statement-in-clubs-first-season/story-fni2wcjl-1227580477033?sv=30f861e6f08dd925a24632ffc3eee23f

 

 

Really looking forward to seeing the W-League team's first home match. Especially looking forward to seeing a team that's high energy for 90 minutes, and full of attacking intent (as they were in their Round 1 match against Sydney).

It's also a plus that supporters are significantly more likely to at least see 1 win this weekend with the W-League team playing this curtain-raiser on Sunday. A win in the first ever W-League Melbourne Derby would be damn awesome too. 

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"A lot of our recruiting, the characters we’ve brought in are leaders and winners and that in the end will have a ­bigger say than the resources or player quality,’’ he said."

Well, that's the sort of thing I like to hear from a coach.

I just hope we don't all expect too much from the girls and overload them with that expectation.

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