Goalkeeper-turned-pundit Mark Bosnich's Boxing Day attack on A-League club Wellington Phoenix is without substance or merit, general manager David Dome says.
The 44-year-old ex-Socceroo, a commentator for Australia's Fox Sports, lashed out at the Phoenix for what he saw as their worthlessness to the A-League.
Dome said Bosnich was agreat player and a good pundit, but questioned whether the former Manchester United keeper should be involving himself in the political side of running a football club.
Bosnich made his comments after watching Wellington twice throw away the lead in their 2-2 Boxing Day draw with Newcastle.
"At the moment, for me, they're offering the A-League nothing," he said. "I want to see a bit of consistency and them actually threatening to get into the top four, instead of struggling around the fringes."
He said the Phoenix offered nothing to the A-League and were taking the place of an Australian team, but Dome disagreed.
"You can't say the Phoenix aren't bringing anything to the A-League. It's ridiculous - an absolutely ridiculous comment," he said. Wellington were developing a host of young Australian players, he added, with Jacob Tratt, Adam Parkhouse, Dylan Fox and Lewis Italiano all earning game time this season.
And the Phoenix had been responsible for bringing back striker Nathan Burns from Asia, resurrecting his career as he worked his way back into the Socceroos.
Dome said Bosnich's attack had come out of left field and had no basis.
"It's not worth justifying those sorts of off-the-cuff comments - for some reason, he's got a bee in his bonnet.
"We'll just carry on and do our business. We've got a quality team of football players, we've got two exciting young coaches who are going to take the club to the next level and we're pretty excited about that."
Wellington, who finished ninth last season, sit eighth this campaign after earning three draws and a win in their past four games under new coaches Des Buckingham and Chris Greenacre.
