Melbourne Victory head coach Kevin Muscat believes there is still a lot of hunger in the squad, as the Hyundai A-League finals draw closer.
Following a 5-2 win over Central Coast last Sunday, which saw Victory jump into third place, Muscat’s side heads to Perth looking to extend its good run of form.
Victory will have to do so without James Troisi though, who is away on Socceroos duty.
Perth currently sit eighth on the table, four points off the last finals spot with four rounds remaining.
On the win over Central Coast…
“Our result the other night was a product of many things, including our preparation and performance, which ultimately gives us the best chance of getting a result.
“There were some real positives and we made sure we prepared well, after two games against Kawasaki, before Central Coast. So, credit to the staff and players, they gave us the opportunity to perform in the way that we did.”
We're a tight group and we're hungry #MVFC pic.twitter.com/n6WYdFCyUw
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) March 23, 2018
On Berisha’s performance and hat-trick…
“I’m not surprised at all. He was very clinical and went through the task of making sure he did his job for the team remarkably well. With the numbers we’ve got in our squad, everyone is required. But we seem to be enjoying that challenge and that is why I’m pleased for the group.”
On what to expect from Perth Glory…
“There’s a lot of games where there’s so much riding on things. In previous years it hasn’t been like this, so it is exciting for the competition and Perth will make it as difficult as they possibly can for us. They really need to take maximum points to give themselves a shot.
“We went across there at the start of the season and had a favourable result, so we’re looking forward to going over there in the same manner.”
On the absence of James Troisi…
“We’ve got a couple of options. We went to Western Sydney and Terry [Antonis] played in an advanced role. It’s a different dimension compared to when Jimmy plays. We had a very good performance that night.
“The fact that Chrissy Theoharous scored his first senior goal for the club on the weekend makes him another serious option. We will weigh everything up and choose the option that gives us the best opportunity to get the right result.”
On the remainder of the season…
“It’s a nice challenge and one which the group has taken on board. I’ll use Bes [Berisha] as an example from Sunday, there is a lot of hunger within this group. As I said weeks ago, we want to have a big say on proceedings until the end of the A-League season.”
