Monty’s ‘fairy tale’ is up after latest ref calls
Nick Montgomery uses the term ‘fairy tale’ to describe the old adage about bad decisions evening themselves out over the course of a season. If there’s one thing likely to put the Hibs boss in a grim mood, it’s a discussion about referees, VAR and the many different ways of interpreting the beautiful game, writes John Greechan.
But Montgomery’s criticism of the existing system is constructive, rather than destructive. From floating the old idea about full-time referees to agreeing that former players could educate officials on the differences between a dangerous tackle and an honest attempt to win the ball, he isn’t short of suggestions on how to raise standards.
And he has a simple answer to the Hibs-specific issues affecting his team: just be better. And take the odd unlucky intervention by officials completely out of the equation.
More than once, he’s cited the idea that, eventually, a couple of major decisions might go for Hibs, although recently he’s having more doubts.
"I think it's old wives' tales really! As a manager you tend to think: ‘Surely you'll get some decisions you go for you.’ I don't think it evens itself out. I think it's something that you want to believe, like a fairy tale, but it's definitely not a fairy tale. What you have to do is be better and to score more goals and not have to rely on decisions."
Still adamant that referee Steven McLean should have reviewed his decision to show Natan Moriah-Welsh a straight red card for a challenge on John Lundstram during Sunday’s 2-0 Scottish Cup quarter-final loss to Rangers at Easter Road, Montgomery didn’t bite when asked if the art of tackling was being driven out of the game, saying only: “Look, I think when you’ve played the game, you understand whether it’s intent to hurt somebody or whether it’s trying to block a cross, block a ball down the line, for example. It’s hard to see that in the heat of the moment.”
Still, he emphasised his point about McLean by saying: “There are tools there now for you to go and have a look, doublecheck things.”