A-League Grand Final: How Erick Mombaerts won City gig as Jamie Maclaren reveals dark times helped develop his killer edge
During Melbourne City’s first meeting with Erick Mombaerts at an Italian restaurant they knew they had their man despite other candidates still being in the mix. Plus, Jamie Maclaren reveals the dark times that helped develop his killer edge.
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Erick Mombaerts is the man credited with transforming the A-League’s richest team from historic underachievers to a burgeoning powerhouse — and it all started with a bottle of red and a bowl of pasta.
With Melbourne City having finally overcome their big game jitters to reach a maiden grand final, where they’ll face Sydney FC on Sunday, the bill from that night out at a Manchester eatery could turn out to be the wisest money spent in the club’s history.
After several lean years, and with the club quickly tiring of being the competition’s punchline, City embarked on a genuine worldwide hunt for a coach who could turn around their fortunes and make good on their promise of trophies and success.
It led them to an Italian restaurant in Manchester, where the club’s Director of Football Michael Petrillo and CEO Brad Rowse met with City Football Group managing director Brian Marwood — and a mild-mannered Frenchman who would change the club’s fortunes forever.
“From the first time he talked you could see first of all he was a terrific guy, well mannered and humble, calm persona but still passionate about his craft,” Petrillo says of City’s pursuit of Mombaerts.
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Mombaerts was still on a shortlist of five — indeed, Petrillo had more interviews lined up in France the following week — but after a 90-minute meeting in Paris ticked well over the four-hour mark, Melbourne City knew they’d found the man to rejuvenate their club.
“From that day I could see how passionate he was and what he put into his teams,” Petrillo added.
“I thought it was the perfect fit for us. After what we’d gone through the previous two seasons it was, for me, a no-brainer.”
In the lead-up to City’s historic semi-final win over Western United, Mombaerts refused to discuss his future beyond this weekend but the popular Frenchman’s stay in Melbourne could be over as soon as the final whistle on Sunday, with reports linking him to a return to his homeland.
Should that be the case, his legacy at the club will remain.
“His work ethic, attention to detail and his passion for the game have been the most impressive things for me.
“This is season 15 of the A-League for me, and I’ve worked with some great coaches but he’s right up there as probably the best for a whole range of reasons: his tactical nous and ability to analyse situations and introduce a (new style) of playing.
“We’d really lost our way over the last couple of seasons before this one. But to come in and change things around so quickly is a testament to the type of person and quality of coach he is.”
Along with right-hand-man Patrick Kisnorbo, the former club captain who looms as a likely successor if not next season then certainly further down the track, Mombaerts has helped shed City of their chokers tag.
Western United coach Mark Rudan noted the new-found steel in City’s resolve after his side exited the competition at the hands of the competition’s richest club, remarking that Mombaerts had instilled in them a previously undiscovered toughness.
Striker Jamie Maclaren speaks glowingly about the ‘aura’ that Mombaerts carries with him everywhere he goes, and it’s clear the coach has created something special within this group.
“A lot of people roll out the old story that we’re mentally fragile, but this is a new team,” Petrillo said.
“We’ve seen since we’ve been back from the resumption that it’s a pretty resilient group that we’ve got, able to bounce back.
“I said to this group when we came back from the COVID break that there’s a special feeling and camaraderie between staff and players, which is very hard to find that dynamic.”
CITY THE BENEFICIARY OF MACLAREN’S HUNGER GAINS
A horror stint in Germany nearly broke Melbourne City’s talismanic striker Jamie Maclaren — but the Socceroos star says those dark times steeled him to deliver the club a maiden A-League title.
Maclaren freely admits he fell out of love with football during a troubled spell with German second-tier side Darmstadt, before a loan deal with Scottish club Hibernian not only revived his passion for the game but gave him the killer edge that has propelled City to Sunday’s grand final with Sydney FC.
It was at Hibernian that Maclaren learned the football lessons, under now-Celtic boss Neil Lennon, which set the platform for this year’s eye-catching, Golden Boot-winning season that is sure to pique the interest of foreign clubs.
“If there’s one thing I can credit to him, he showed me what it’s like to play in a big game and where big game players step up,” Maclaren told News Corp.
“I believe I’ve brought that back here with me. In big moments, I have to step up and I own the moment.
“Coming back here I’ve shown people I’m still that guy who will score you goals and it’s a proud moment for me to win another golden boot. It’s purely down to the guys around me.”
In the moments immediately after City’s historic semi-final victory over Western United, there was one telling sight which explained what a maiden grand final appearance meant to Maclaren.
The 27-year-old, who had twice fallen at the final hurdle in semi-finals with Brisbane Roar, was down on his haunches and away from his teammates as he soaked up the atmosphere at Bankwest Stadium.
“It was just the sheer joy of the moment. I’ve worked so hard to get to this position,” Maclaren said.
“Sometimes you’ve got to go through some failures to reach success.
“I believe the two times at Brisbane, semi finals where we missed out, put me in stead for Wednesday’s game … where I was just so hungry just to relay the message down to the boys that only one guy in our team has played in a grand final (stand-in captain Josh Brillante).
“I wanted to make sure all XI of us that were starting, let’s make sure we can play in a grand final. Because I know how big it is and these chances don’t come often at all.”
Hear from Jamie Maclaren fresh from leading @MelbourneCity into Sunday's Hyundai #ALeagueGF 🗣#FootballReturns #ALeague #MCYvWUN #CityTogther pic.twitter.com/FtVInKa6cz
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) August 26, 2020
It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Maclaren, who returned midway through last season after that unhappy stint in Germany where he fumed at being played out of position and needed to rediscover what made football fun.
The move back home has delivered immediate success. In his first full season with City the Socceroos star topped the goalscoring charts with 23 from 24 games — lifting the A-League underachievers to a best-ever second-placed finish and now a maiden grand final.
Despite his underwhelming experience in Germany, Maclaren still harbours ambitions to play around the world — but has no intention of walking out on Melbourne, where he’s rediscovered himself.
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“The ambition never really changes. There will be interest and there will be potential forthcomings,” Maclaren said.
“I’m in such a great place mentally and physically, back in my hometown and with the great support of my fans and teammates who have produced hugely this year.
“I haven’t once shifted my focus to wanting to leave or spoken to the club about wanting to leave. I don’t think they want to lose me, either.
“Of course, you always do want to play in different parts of the world. But I’m not sitting here saying I want to leave because right now I’m happy.
“And in a footballer’s mind, when you’re happy that’s when you play your best football. That’s where I’m at now. So for me it’s quite a simple answer.”
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