Arthur Diles has looked to instil the same ‘kill or be killed’ mentality that served his playing group so well during last season’s finals series, as they look to go one better than their eventual Grand Final loss to Melbourne City.
Diles made a name for himself at finals time last year, as Victory travelled to Western Sydney and Auckland as underdogs and won on both occasions. They’ve negotiated a hotly contested regular season to arrive this time from fourth, securing hosting rights for Saturday’s elimination final against Sydney FC.
It means a return to Aami Park for Patrick Kisnorbo; the new Sydney boss walked out on Victory twelve games into a three year contract in late-2024. Diles was Kisnorbo’s assistant through that short spell and then replaced him, and is looking forward to the contest.
‘I’m sure it will be tasty, spicy, there’s probably a few words you could use to describe it! It adds a little bit to what’s already a massive derby between the two clubs, two original A-League clubs, which goes back many years,’ Diles told Box2Box.
‘It’s a different mindset when you get to finals, you sink or swim. Last year I used the terminology ‘kill or be killed,’ and it’s going to be no different.
‘It’s a mentality that you need to start breathing during the year because you can’t just turn the switch come finals time. But now, it actually does become real because there are no second chances.
‘It can be emotional in terms of the occasion, but you can’t play with emotion; you’ve got to stay calm, focused. Nothing stops you from believing in yourself. Nothing stops you from working hard. And, you’ve got to leave everything on the pitch.’
Diles has chopped and changed his starting eleven right through his fifty-match tenure, and paid tribute to the professionalism of his group in treating selection disappointment as no more than an unavoidable part of life at the level.
Charles Nduka has started at No.9 for five of the last six matches, the strongest pattern yet in what’s been an ongoing battle with Nikos Vergos for the starting role since the former’s January arrival. With neither proving dominant in a Victory shirt it’s been a near-weekly selection decision for the manager, as it was last season between Vergos and Bruno Fornaroli.
‘It’s healthy competition. They’re both great human beings, so they haven’t given me any headache in terms of having to address ill-discipline or bad attitude. Thankfully, we’ve got a tight-knit group and changeroom that irons out creases before they even get to me.
‘For me, the expectation of the guy that comes on is exactly the same as for the one that starts. Get on and score, get on and help your team, get on and work hard. I’ve always said that to all my attacking players, because that’s where the majority of substitutions come from.
‘Whether you play twenty minutes or ninety, you’re always going to get a chance to score. So, just take your chance and don’t whinge that it’s ten, twenty minutes. The ones that do their job consistently are the ones that play more than others.’
Finals have arrived not a moment too soon for Juan Mata, who has recovered just in time from an elbow fracture that initially threatened to derail his so-far exceptional season. Frustrated on the periphery at the Wanderers heading into finals last year, his five goals and twelve assists from midfield since moving south have belied all expectations of the 37-year old.
Importantly, those numbers tell only part of the story. His genuine commitment, connection with fans and enthusiastic demeanour has been so significant that he’s single-handedly revived debate as to whether mega-names are worth pursuing, and challenged all those that still feel the A-League is not quite good enough. If this guy loves it, can it be that bad?
His all-round contribution has been the strongest of Victory’s historically biggest names in Keisuke Honda and Luis Nani, while his off-field work has bettered that of the prolific Ola Toivonen. Having witnessed Mata’s impact first-hand, Diles suggests he’s level with the best import the A-League has seen.
‘There was a period two months ago where he scored incredible goals in the Melbourne Derby and then against Sydney. Manchester United players were posting about it, United itself put our match report on their socials. We’re talking about this reaching tens, if not hundreds of millions of people worldwide,’ said Diles.
‘From the moment he arrived… on our pre-season camp in regional Perth, there were Japanese tourists turning up from when he played in Japan. He gets stopped everywhere he goes. He always takes time out to take photos and speak to pretty much anyone and everyone.
‘I don’t remember a marquee player having this impact since Alessandro Del Piero. If you look at impact on the Australian game, it’s those two that have had the biggest on and off the pitch. He’s been fantastic for the club, and for me as coach. It’s been a dream.’