Melbourne Victory assistant coach Kevin Muscat says the players now understand the standard of football that is expected of them after their amazing 2-2 draw against ladder leaders Brisbane Roar last week.
Melbourne Victory assistant coach Kevin Muscat says the players now understand the standard of football that is expected of them after their amazing 2-2 draw against ladder leaders Brisbane Roar last week.
Victory held on for a share of the points with the Roar, who are now unbeaten in their last 33 matches, after playing with nine men for close to an hour to produce their best performance of the season.
And Muscat, speaking ahead of this week’s match-up with Central Coast, suggested that kind of result proved Victory can mix it with the best sides after their slow start to the campaign.
“The players have now realised that that’s the standard this football club expects,” Muscat said at AAMI Park after training on Friday.
“The work rate, the determination, the attitude, last week really got us a result.”
“It was everything else off the ball that the players did and we did create a couple of chances as well against a team that was unbeaten in 32 games and I don’t think they were too comfortable at the end of the game.”
Victory will require similar output this week as they face the tricky task of travelling up to Gosford to meet the Mariners minus five of their best players.
Harry Kewell (international duty), Carlos Hernandez (international duty), Matthew Foschini (suspension), Ante Covic (suspension) and Diogo Ferreira (injury) are all unavailable for the Week 6 mid-table clash.
But Muscat was optimistic that the team would record a win despite the wholesale changes the line-up will undergo.
“We’ll still put a very competitive team out that we expect to go out and perform well and we’ll be going to Gosford to try and take three points,” he said.
“We’re still confident enough we’ve got enough going forward to score goals and trouble any defence.”
“I don’t think we’ll tinker too much and change too much but obviously with personnel coming in, different personalities, five different players from last weekend, there might be some minor alterations.”
“There’s a few players who have been waiting patiently for their opportunity and that comes this weekend.”
Danny Allsopp and Matthew Kemp are two such players who look set to return to the starting line-up and Muscat singled out Kemp in particular for praise.
“What he’s done for the club in the past is second to none but he’s had to be patient and this week he will no doubt get his opportunity,” Muscat said.
“Hopefully he can play anywhere near his best from the past and it will be good enough.”
Allsopp should head back to familiar surrounds up forward against the Mariners after being subbed on last week and having to play in defence to assist his depleted side.
“Danny come on and done an unbelievable job for us last week in adversity,” Muscat said.
“He come on and played in a role that’s unfamiliar to him and that’s what we’ve come to expect from Danny, his attitude and application are second to none and hopefully this weekend he’ll get an opportunity where he can play in his favourite position alongside Archie (Thompson).”
