Melbourne Victory coach Jim Magilton said his players should use the respect given to them by the Central Coast Mariners ahead of Friday’s clash at AAMI Park as a confidence booster as they plot to defeat the table-toppers.
Melbourne Victory coach Jim Magilton said his players should use the respect given to them by the Central Coast Mariners ahead of Friday’s clash at AAMI Park as a confidence booster as they plot to defeat the table-toppers.
Both Mariners coach Graham Arnold and defender Josh Rose have said this week that Victory are still a team to fear despite the fact they remain outside the top six after picking up just four wins and ten draws in 20 matches.
While some might consider it a ploy by Arnold to ensure his players aren’t complacent ahead of their trip to AAMI Park, Magilton said it should provide motivation to his team.
“It should give the players confidence that a manager who is sitting on top of the table has that amount of respect. They’ve got to use that,” he said.
“They need to step that across the white line and produce. There’s no doubt on their day they can. We just need to find that level of consistency in our play.”
Magilton remains confident that despite a five-match run without a win since he took over, that Victory have the quality to punish teams if they can find their form and confidence.
“Maybe if a little bit of lady luck shines on us and maybe if we can convert and be a little bit more ruthless in front of goal, we can get our noses in front and stay there and win a game,” he said.
“Niko (Jean Carlos Solorzano) and Marco (Rojas) lit the season up last year for their respective teams, Harry (Kewell) is widely regarded as one of the best players Australia has produced and Archie (Thompson) has been consistently the best player in the league, so we have enough in the team to win a game of football.”
And Magilton said he is not concerned with Thompson going four games without scoring a goal, saying he has the right approach to ending his mini-goal drought
“He’s been such a prolific goalscorer and strikers, no matter where they are, or where they play, if they are not scoring goals they are pretty upset with themselves. I’m sure he is and I’m sure he’s looking forward to the game tomorrow night,” he said.
“I’m sure he consistently puts himself in the same areas and he’s had plenty of chances, he just needs to convert that ratio and give us that little respite that we need.”
Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Grant Brebner, who is suspended for Friday’s match, is likely to miss at least a month after injuring a tendon in his ankle.
Magilton remains hopeful that Brebner can return before the end of the season after scans confirmed the injury on Wednesday.
Victory are still sweating on a full clearance for Spanish defender Ubay Luzardo, while Adrian Leijer will be given until match day to prove he is fit after struggling with a groin injury during the week.
