Unbeaten in the last six matches and the Club’s first trophy in the cabinet, City Head Coach John van’t Schip says his side is confident in continuing its impressive run this Saturday night in the Melbourne Derby.
The 22nd edition of the Derby will be the third time the two city foes will come up against each other this season with Melbourne City triumphant in both the Round 2 match up at Etihad Stadium and the Westfield FFA Cup Semi Final.
The third contest between the sides is shaping up to be the most even match up so far this season and van’t Schip is confident his side can continue the momentum they have built over the past month.
“We are full of confidence. We won the cup and we’ve had four games in very difficult weeks. We are unbeaten so it’s going to be an interesting game,” van’t Schip said.
“I think that’s we are all looking for, the more big games the better. Everybody knows this is a big game and everyone looks forward to it so this period is good when you have a lot of pressure.
“Winning the cup and with Brisbane and Sydney after that, it keeps you on your toes, it keeps you concentrated and focused and this is another game like that.”
Part of City’s confidence in the league is the ability to concentrate on themselves and play the way they prepare for matches on the training pitch with their football philosophy.
With opposition sides changing their style to counteract City’s game, van’t Schip says his side sees that as a sign of respect, believing their way of playing will get them results in the short and long term.
“That’s why we have this philosophy of having the ball, trying to play, trying to be on top of the opponent, it’s because we believe in that, we train in that way and it’s the way that we want to play,” he said.
“If we do the things we have to do and they have to run around us and think more about us, it means that [Marco] Rojas and [Besart] Berisha can’t do too much of what they are trying to do.
“If we have the ball, they can’t do that so we have to make sure we have to have the ball a lot and when we don’t have it, we’re organised because they are dangerous in transition.
“We play our game, I think we are a chance to get a good result and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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