Melbourne City victims of tall poppy syndrome, says Lowe

The anti-Melbourne City sentiment is just another example of tall poppy syndrome, said Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe, who insisted the club were great for the A-League and should be embraced.

Perth coach Kenny Lowe Source: Getty Images

The rising tide of anti-City sentiment was no more evident than in the cynical reaction on social media to the announcement last week by Yoshi, the boy at the centre of Football Federation Australia's "You Gotta Have A Team" advertising campaign, that he had chosen City as his side.

FFA assisted City financially with the signing of Socceroo superstar Tim Cahill under the guest marquee player rule, prompting the cynics to regard City as FFA's favoured club.

Cahill's presence and the added publicity he brings the game is a key part of the FFA strategy for increased revenue from the next television rights deal.

Asked if he had noticed the rise of anti-City sentiment, Lowe told The World Game: "I think when you're a good team and you've got good players and you've got a couple of quid behind you and you play a really good brand of football, everyone in the world wants to hate you.

"Man United, Arsenal, whoever's good, that's what happens, and Melbourne City are good and fair play to them because, you know, you can have all those resources and still not produce and they're producing and they've got a fantastic team and a great product.

"So, unfortunately, it's the tall poppy syndrome, I think. If you're up there you're going to get chopped down. Hey, I wish it was us!

"Someone once said the only thing worse than getting talked about is not getting talked about, and they're getting talked about for all the right reasons, for doing something fantastic."

Perth are the only team to have taken any points from City in the first four rounds. Glory beat them 3-2 at AAMI Park in round three.

Lowe said he thrived on the challenge of coaching against City.

"It's brilliant, because you're going up against the best and you want to test yourself," he said.

"John van't Schip's a fantastic coach, he's got a fantastic team and Cahill's an unbelievable player. Why would you not want to be involved in going up against that?

"I think it's absolutely unbelievable. It has raised the level of the A-League, it has raised the profile of the A-League, so I think we should all embrace it."