Melbourne Victory coach Jim Magilton admits the next four days are likely to define the A-League club’s tumultuous season.
The Victory have arrived in Launceston for Wednesday night’s clash with Gold Coast United, and will hot-tail it home to back up for the derby with Melbourne Heart just three days later on Saturday.
Four points adrift of the top six after just four wins in a troubled campaign, the points on offer at Aurora Stadium and AAMI Park could yet signal some hope for the Victory’s season.
“We can’t get away from it, it’s a big week,” Magilton told reporters.
“But any time Melbourne come to town it’s always a big game so there’s a certain amount of pressure.
“But being a Melbourne Victory manager, being a Melbourne Victory player you’ve got to be able to handle that and come out and withstand whatever Gold Coast throw at us and come out with the qualities I know we have in the team.”
A late-season charge from the Victory would mean them salvaging something after the sacking of coach Mehmet Durakovic during a season overshadowed by the formidable figure of star signing Harry Kewell.
The latest round of speculation has the new boss, who is still winless after three games in charge, offloading Kewell and Carlos Hernandez on loan.
Hernandez is off contract at season’s end, while Victory managing director Richard Wilson has said Kewell could play overseas in the off-season to have him match-fit for the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifiers in June.
Magilton said his players had the remainder of the season to prove they belonged at the club.
“All I’m concentrating on is the end of season,” the Northern Irishman said.
“So all the players are here until the end of the season, everybody’s got to stand up and be counted.
“We’re fully focused on each game and come the end of the season we’ll take it after that.”
The Victory are still smarting after a last-gasp equaliser from Sydney FC’s Sebastian Ryall that meant a 2-2 draw at AAMI Park last Thursday.
Magilton, though, said he was finding his new job “really enjoyable”.
“I wish results were better but certainly the three weeks that I’ve been able to work with the players, their application, their attitude has been top class,” he said.
“It’s very early days but I knew what I was getting myself into, I knew we’d have to hit the ground running.”
Last-placed Gold Coast have had a breather after their clash with Central Coast was postponed due to the rain in Queensland.
They received news this week that midfielder Paul Beekmans would not be returning from personal leave in Holland because of a seriously ill family member.
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