Melbourne skipper Kevin Muscat admits a begrudging appreciation for what new Adelaide coach Rini Coolen has achieved in Adelaide but remains confident that his side can become the first to knock the Reds off under the Dutchman’s watch when the two teams meet at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
Melbourne skipper Kevin Muscat admits a begrudging appreciation for what new Adelaide coach Rini Coolen has achieved in Adelaide but remains confident that his side can become the first to knock the Reds off under the Dutchman’s watch when the two teams meet at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
Adelaide have notched an Hyundai A-League record of 11 consecutive matches without defeat this season and are full of confidence after a comprehensive 3-0 thrashing of Wellington at Hindmarsh Stadium last week.
Muscat has a great respect for the Reds defence and believes a strong start from the Victory will be crucial to them getting all three points in Friday night’s match.
“It’s important that you get a good start against these teams. They start the game very confidently because of the results and performances they-ve had,” he said.
“I’ve been impressed with their resilience as well. I’ve watched games where Adelaide haven’t been the best team and they’ve come out and got a result, that’s a sign of a very good team and a good manager to be honest.”
But while the Reds’ confidence is sky high, Muscat believes that Victory’s best is sufficient to overcome any opposition, especially at home.
“It’s important for us to worry about what we can control and we can control where we are on a football pitch, how much work we put in. If we do that, we’ve got enough quality and skill to cause anyone in this competition trouble,” he said.
While Adelaide will be shooting to extend their record streak, history also beckons for Melbourne, who are looking for a 10-straight win against the Reds. That would mark a record run in Australian national league history.
That history doesn’t really concern Muscat and his men, but the skipper does believe it will be playing on Adelaide’s mind having not beaten Melbourne since October 2007 and having not won in Victoria since 2006.
“They are coming across here and before you ask about records and stuff, that sits in our favour. There’s no doubt that’s in the back of their mind. We know how important this game is for us and we’ll concentrate on a game of football and not worrying about past results,” the skipper said.
“There’s no doubt they are a different animal and I have the utmost respect with what they’ve done so far. They’ll come across knowing they haven’t won here for three odd years. Hopefully that’s playing on their minds a little bit,” he said.
