Latest news with #ScottishPremiership
Sydney Morning Herald
31 minutes ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We believed all season': Inside Tottenham's euphoric Europa League victory
Montgomery is still coming to terms with the magnitude of what he has helped Spurs achieve this season. Sacked by Hibernian in May last year, after less than a month as head coach of the Scottish Premiership side, he had other opportunities to continue as a manager – but couldn't turn down the chance to work with Postecoglou, who was one of the first to send Montgomery a congratulatory message after he steered the Central Coast Mariners to an emphatic A-League grand final victory in 2023. The departure of previous assistant Chris Davies to Birmingham City opened up a spot on Postecoglou's staff for Montgomery, who was joined at Spurs by his own long-time lieutenant Sergio Raimundo. Part of Montgomery's portfolio was to look after Tottenham's set pieces, in attack and defence, in tandem with Jedinak, another ex-Mariners legend. But Postecoglou's collaborative approach with his assistants gave him broader scope in terms of adjusting the team's game model and structuring their training sessions, all of which were meticulously planned and reviewed afterwards. It was never easy, though, due to one of the worst injury crises a Premier League side has ever seen, and the incessant noise from the outside questioning everything Postecoglou and his staff were doing. 'It's been a great learning,' Montgomery said. 'It's also been an opportunity for me to grow and support Ange in what was a difficult season, but in the end, an amazing season. 'The media tried to make out that the team never changed the way it played and just never adapted, but that's completely not true. It's difficult to fully adapt when you're making five, six changes every week, we had so many injuries, you know, you've got young players that are just coming in experiencing that level for the first time ... we never abandoned our principles all season. 'We always believed that we could go on and win the Europa League. The players believed in Ange and backed him, even throughout the really difficult times and I think that's a real test of a top world-class manager.' The celebrations, though? An utter madness, and Montgomery was in the thick of it. One of many viral videos from the post-match in Bilbao caught James Maddison leading the players in a chant in his honour, to the tune of Freed From Desire: ' Monty's on fire, your defence is terrified! ' 'The boys were in full force, mate,' he laughed. 'James Maddison, he reminds me a lot of Jason Cummings – that sort of character. He's just a majestic player, a wonderful player, a football brain. Some of the stuff he does, the game he stands still when he gets on the ball, and he just sees things that other players don't see but not only that, he's just a great guy, a proper character. He was trying to get me up on the stage! 'I was always banging on him about taking corners and free kicks and getting him out there to do extra practice and stuff, and you see his stats in terms of the assists that he got through the season, considering he had a couple of injuries as well … he's actually up there in terms of the Premier League's top scorers from free kicks and assists.' Though he only moved to Australia when the Mariners signed him as a player in 2012, Montgomery has become an Australian citizen and appreciates the significance of what Postecoglou is doing for Aussie coaches and the game back home more broadly. The A-League might feel a million light years away from the Premier League, but it is never far from their field of vision. Literally. 'We always watch the A-League,' he said. 'Obviously, the timing of the A-League [in the UK], it's normally when we're having a coffee in the morning, preparing a session, going through all the sort of pre-training stuff. We've always got the A-League on in the coach's office; Ange has all the football on in his office, all the time. We're just immersed in it. 'We try to be real advocates for the A-League, because we know the quality of the players that are in there, and a lot of good young players coming through now. I'm really proud of the fact that we played a part in maybe more coaches now believing in young players and helping to develop them ... that's a great thing to see.' Like Postecoglou and the rest of Tottenham's coaching staff, Montgomery is currently in a state of limbo, waiting for news from above as to whether a managerial change will be made - as has been widely forecast in the English media. However, the Europa League win has changed the atmosphere, and with Postecoglou enjoying the clear backing of the entire dressing room – and, once again, the majority of Spurs fans - moving him on would be an enormous risk. Loading 'I came here for one year already, and it's been an amazing journey,' Montgomery said. 'I've learned plenty – it's probably hard for me to say one thing, but I learned that, yeah, I can coach in the Premier League with World Cup-winners and world-class players. 'In future, I'll definitely be looking to get back into management. That's what I spoke about with Ange in our first meeting. But for now, until we're told otherwise, I'm really looking forward to coaching in the UEFA Champions League next season and continuing to support Ange.'
The Age
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘We believed all season': Inside Tottenham's euphoric Europa League victory
Montgomery is still coming to terms with the magnitude of what he has helped Spurs achieve this season. Sacked by Hibernian in May last year, after less than a month as head coach of the Scottish Premiership side, he had other opportunities to continue as a manager – but couldn't turn down the chance to work with Postecoglou, who was one of the first to send Montgomery a congratulatory message after he steered the Central Coast Mariners to an emphatic A-League grand final victory in 2023. The departure of previous assistant Chris Davies to Birmingham City opened up a spot on Postecoglou's staff for Montgomery, who was joined at Spurs by his own long-time lieutenant Sergio Raimundo. Part of Montgomery's portfolio was to look after Tottenham's set pieces, in attack and defence, in tandem with Jedinak, another ex-Mariners legend. But Postecoglou's collaborative approach with his assistants gave him broader scope in terms of adjusting the team's game model and structuring their training sessions, all of which were meticulously planned and reviewed afterwards. It was never easy, though, due to one of the worst injury crises a Premier League side has ever seen, and the incessant noise from the outside questioning everything Postecoglou and his staff were doing. 'It's been a great learning,' Montgomery said. 'It's also been an opportunity for me to grow and support Ange in what was a difficult season, but in the end, an amazing season. 'The media tried to make out that the team never changed the way it played and just never adapted, but that's completely not true. It's difficult to fully adapt when you're making five, six changes every week, we had so many injuries, you know, you've got young players that are just coming in experiencing that level for the first time ... we never abandoned our principles all season. 'We always believed that we could go on and win the Europa League. The players believed in Ange and backed him, even throughout the really difficult times and I think that's a real test of a top world-class manager.' The celebrations, though? An utter madness, and Montgomery was in the thick of it. One of many viral videos from the post-match in Bilbao caught James Maddison leading the players in a chant in his honour, to the tune of Freed From Desire: ' Monty's on fire, your defence is terrified! ' 'The boys were in full force, mate,' he laughed. 'James Maddison, he reminds me a lot of Jason Cummings – that sort of character. He's just a majestic player, a wonderful player, a football brain. Some of the stuff he does, the game he stands still when he gets on the ball, and he just sees things that other players don't see but not only that, he's just a great guy, a proper character. He was trying to get me up on the stage! 'I was always banging on him about taking corners and free kicks and getting him out there to do extra practice and stuff, and you see his stats in terms of the assists that he got through the season, considering he had a couple of injuries as well … he's actually up there in terms of the Premier League's top scorers from free kicks and assists.' Though he only moved to Australia when the Mariners signed him as a player in 2012, Montgomery has become an Australian citizen and appreciates the significance of what Postecoglou is doing for Aussie coaches and the game back home more broadly. The A-League might feel a million light years away from the Premier League, but it is never far from their field of vision. Literally. 'We always watch the A-League,' he said. 'Obviously, the timing of the A-League [in the UK], it's normally when we're having a coffee in the morning, preparing a session, going through all the sort of pre-training stuff. We've always got the A-League on in the coach's office; Ange has all the football on in his office, all the time. We're just immersed in it. 'We try to be real advocates for the A-League, because we know the quality of the players that are in there, and a lot of good young players coming through now. I'm really proud of the fact that we played a part in maybe more coaches now believing in young players and helping to develop them ... that's a great thing to see.' Like Postecoglou and the rest of Tottenham's coaching staff, Montgomery is currently in a state of limbo, waiting for news from above as to whether a managerial change will be made - as has been widely forecast in the English media. However, the Europa League win has changed the atmosphere, and with Postecoglou enjoying the clear backing of the entire dressing room – and, once again, the majority of Spurs fans - moving him on would be an enormous risk. Loading 'I came here for one year already, and it's been an amazing journey,' Montgomery said. 'I've learned plenty – it's probably hard for me to say one thing, but I learned that, yeah, I can coach in the Premier League with World Cup-winners and world-class players. 'In future, I'll definitely be looking to get back into management. That's what I spoke about with Ange in our first meeting. But for now, until we're told otherwise, I'm really looking forward to coaching in the UEFA Champions League next season and continuing to support Ange.'
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
McCowan reacts to Lyall Cameron's impending Rangers transfer
The duo played together for several years at Dens Park before McCowan moved to Parkhead last summer. Cameron is set to join Rangers at the end of this summer after his contract with Dundee expires. Read more: He made a significant impact last season, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists across all competitions. McCowan jokingly suggested that they would cease communication following Cameron's decision to join the Ibrox side. He said: "I spoke to him when Dundee came to Celtic Park, maybe just after he'd done it. "I said, 'Just to let you know, this will be the last time I speak to you!'. "No, listen, Lyall is a good player. "He's done well. "If that's the move he's going to go and get it's a credit to himself because he's put a lot of hard work in." Cameron was instrumental in securing Dundee's top-flight status, scoring twice on the final day of the Scottish Premiership season. His excitement about his impending move to Rangers was evident in his post-match comments. He said: "It's an unknown but it's a challenge and I'm really looking forward to going somewhere different and challenging myself at a higher level. "I accept that I'm going from one of the smaller teams in the country to the biggest, so it's not going to be easy and I'm going to have to work hard for my spot in the team."
The National
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
McCowan reveals Celtic squad's classy reaction to painful Jota news
The Portuguese winger was forced to be withdrawn in Celtic's 5-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice last month, which secured the Scottish Premiership title. Jota, who only returned to the club in the January transfer window, was, as a result, ruled out for a period of between six and nine months. Read more: McCowan revealed the Celtic squad's classy reaction: "When Jota was told about the nature of the injury, it was just about giving him a big hug," he said. 'Regardless of how long it is, if it's long, if it's shorter than what it is, you just know he's a very important player for us. "We'll keep ensuring his mental state is always in the right place. "He's a good and big character for us as well. He's a very lively, influential person. "Even in the game when he got his injury, the first question he asked when the boys came in at half-time was, 'It's definitely my goal, isn't it?'. "So I don't think he was that worried about his knee at that point. But he's been a top player for this club and I'm sure he will be in future." Although they are good friends now, McCowan didn't believe Jota was too keen on him initially: "I think he thought I was a wee bit of a fanboy when I first came in because I was kidding on to him that I was going to get a few 'Jota 7' tops off him," revealed the midfielder. 'I don't think he quite got the Scottish banter. But yeah, he's been perfect with me. "I became good friends with Paulo Bernardo right from when I first came in. So as soon as Jota came back in, and Paulo was close with Jota, we all became friends right away. "That's what this club creates, friendships through different countries and different cultures. It's a special place."
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ross County relegated: How will it affect people and business in Dingwall?
Highland club Ross County's battle for survival in the Scottish Premiership fizzled out with a 4-2 defeat to Livingston on Monday night. Relegation has left the Staggies - and its home town of Dingwall - facing a potentially challenging season in the Championship, both on and off the pitch. Hotels and pubs have enjoyed a boost to takings from hosting large crowds of visiting fans from teams like Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen. Will a move into the lower leagues have an impact beyond football? Raffael Santos owns The Mallard - a pub on Dingwall Station's platform and a few minutes walk from the stadium. It is regularly packed out on home match days, with about 35-40% of business coming from visiting fans. But like many Ross County fans, he is hopeful their spell in the Championship is short-lived. "A lot of the town's businesses survive from big games like Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen," Mr Santos said. "We'll need to work hard to make the business keep going, but hopefully next year they are back into the Scottish premier league." Big games were also profitable for The Legion Club. Its chairman Mike Murray said: "We got coaches of supporters booked in - like Hearts, Aberdeen and Hibs. They'd tend to phone two-three weeks before a game. "We could have 150 to 200 supporters through in the function room, and a good Saturday was a boost to the club." Leia Stephen, co-owner of the National Hotel, is experiencing the effects of relegation for the first time. County was last relegated in 2018. Ms Stephen said home games have been helpful to the business during quieter winter tourist seasons. "Football fans usually just stay one night but sometimes make a weekend out of it," she added. "Our bar and restaurant host away and home supporters." The Championship is a highly competitive league, but experts say it will not match the financial benefits of playing in the big league brought to a small club. Kieran Maguire, a University of Liverpool football finance lecturer, said County will miss the revenue near-capacity attendances that visits by bigger clubs brought. He said the Staggies could lose at least £500,000 because of lower gate receipts, having fewer televised games and less prize money. And with an already tight wage bill, he warned there is "not a lot of fat to cut" to help make savings. But councillor Graham MacKenzie said one of County's strengths was that it was deeply rooted in the community. When he worked as a teacher he was impressed by how many young people chose the Staggies over a bigger club. "It's come as a bit of a blow to everyone," Mr MacKenzie said of relegation. "It's not so many months ago we had high high hopes we could finish in the top six." But he believes both town - home to about 5,500 people - and club have the resilience to cope with the coming season. Bruce Ritchie, one of many Staggies fans in Dingwall pondering the future outside the Premiership, said football was important to the town. "I'm really proud of the fact that we've been in the top division for so many years. "It's going to be a big miss." Other Staggies fans might be hurting, but they are far from sore losers. "I just felt Ross County weren't good enough, I'm afraid," conceded fan Panja Bethune. "It's a shame that they've been relegated. "Livingston were the better team on the day." George Meiklejohn agreed his club were beaten by a good, strong team. He added: "But they've bounced back once before and I'm sure they will again." Another fan, County Kebab takeaway manager Alex Toward, says regardless of where the club is in the leagues it should be proud. "This area is not big and not very well-known - yes, everyone knows of Scotland and the Highlands - but not many think of Dingwall specifically," he says. "I think the fact they (Ross County) are trying so hard to make a name for themselves and have come so far, they should be impressed and proud of their achievements." 'Red flags' as County face 'very tough' financial future County 'fell short' and will suffer 'financial hit' Martindale's belief rewarded as Livingston roar back to Premiership in play-off Ross County fans: We can't afford to lose the dream Ross County
