Kevin Muscat says there is no danger of complacency as Melbourne Victory face a Phoenix with little to play for in the final round of the regular season.
Kevin Muscat says there is no danger of complacency as Melbourne Victory face a Phoenix with little to play for in the final round of the regular season.
Victory go into the game at Westpac Stadium on Saturday afternoon fifth on the table, needing maximum points to have a chance of snatching second place.
They will have some idea of what they need to do after Adelaide, fourth going into the weekend, play away to Newcastle on Friday night.
Western Sydney, the incumbents of the prized second spot, and Central Coast in third are both away from home later on Saturday, against Melbourne Heart and Brisbane Roar respectively.
The Phoenix are out of finals contention and limping to the finish line, burdened by the longest injury list in the competition.
But despite all the signs – on paper at least – pointing to a straight forward away win, Muscat has no illusions about just how tough the contest at the Cake Tin is likely to prove.
“It’s not going to be easy,” he said.
“Certainly the players have not been given a message that this is going to be a (case of) turn up and get the job done.
“It’s going have to be hard work.
“What I do know is our focus is to get our performance spot on.
“It’s been proven when our performance is of a high quality, the result normally looks after itself,” he said.
“Our best is certainly good enough.”
Although second spot may yet prove out of their reach, Victory can still finish third or fourth if other results go their way.
And while home advantage in an elimination final would certainly be welcomed, Muscat claims he hasn’t be dwelling on what his team’s fixture list – which also includes AFC Champions League commitments – will look like in the coming weeks.
“There’s so much uncertainty I haven’t given it any thought whatsoever,” he said.
“As a player you want to be playing in the big games.
“They’ve been pretty big – we’ve had the same conversation on the day before the game for the last six weeks.
“Every game’s been massive. Tomorrow night’s no different.”
Victory will come up against two familiar faces on Saturday in the shape of inaugural coach Ernie Merrick and former star Carlos Hernandez, their third such meeting with the pair this season and the tally level at one win apiece.
Muscat dismissed suggestions Merrick and Hernandez could be planning a costly ambush of their former employers, but knows his players must be on their game against one of the league’s top talents.
“Certainly Carlos as a player – he’s a good footballer,” he said.
“We respect that fact like we do the other good players in the rest of the competition when we play against them.”