Victory to go easy against Mariners: Muscat
Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat has remarkably said his players will not be playing at 100 per cent intensity in their match with Central Coast Mariners on Friday.
Muscat said that neither he or the players believe the North Sydney Oval ground is safe, with a cricket pitch in the middle.
“Everyone has got a different definition of safety and it’s quite clear to me that the definition of safety is that you’re able to do everything in your powers as a player – run as quick as you want and not have a fear of being injured [and] turn at high speed.” he said.
• The Wanderers: Asian champs, A-League chumps
• Broich out for six weeks
“The players don’t think they can do that so basically they’ll run around with the handbrake on tomorrow night.
“It’s a workplace environment, and our employees are asking us to find out about the surface and we’ve asked in vain and until today we haven’t received anything.”
In an extraordinary move, Victory will rest players Gui Finkler, Scott Galloway and Nick Ansell.
Finkler ruptured his ACL in 2013 and is one of the team’s best players, while starting right back Scott Galloway has a small quad complaint.
Nick Ansell has recently returned from a groin injury and he too will be kept away from the dangerous pitch.
Despite the FFA insisting North Sydney Oval is safe, Victory are not totally confident of the surface.
“We had the same assurances at Adelaide Oval and the same assurances at Newcastle,” Muscat said.
“The time has come now, if the regulations state the pitch is suitable for football and it obviously does, well, the regulations need to be seriously looked at. People turning up there tomorrow night and watching at home deserve the opportunity to see a better spectacle.”