Melbourne Victory midfielder Grant Brebner says interim coach Mehmet Durakovic has brought a fresh approach since replacing the deposed Ernie Merrick.
Durakovic stepped into the hot seat when Merrick was sacked last month and guided Victory to just their second away point in eight AFC Champions League matches with a 1-1 draw against Tianjin Teda.
“It’s obviously been different – different managers have different styles,” Brebner said.
Victory meets the Chinese powerhouse for the second time in a fortnight at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, a match the Australian club needs to win to keep their hopes of progressing past the group stage alive.
Brebner explained that the draw in China filled the playing group with the belief they can conjure a positive result at home against Tianjin, whose seven-point haul means they sit atop of Group E.
“As it stands they are top of the group, but we went over there to China and felt like we dominated the majority of the match,” Brebner said.
“I don’t think there’s anybody who watched that game would say that we didn’t deserve to come away with three points.”
“It was encouraging. We are confident, without being overconfident of getting a result. It’s obviously important to get a win first and foremost for the club and to repay the fans would be great.”
Brebner, who battled a calf strain during the latter stages of the Hyundai A-League season, declared himself 100 per cent fit and will anchor Victory’s midfield against the team coached by former Dutch international Arie Haan.
He is expected to be joined in the starting line-up by Qantas Socceroos striker Robbie Kruse who has overcome the jet lag created by four lengthy plane trips in the space of a week ahead of the last match in China.
