Nick D'Agostino has a simple message for Melbourne City ahead of their A-League derby: be prepared for Victory's angry side.
Victory were left bruised and stinging after failing to come to the party in their 1-0 loss to Western Sydney on Saturday night.
Coach Tony Popovic said his charges didn't deserve to win that game and striker D'Agostino indicated the players had received a dressing-down accordingly ahead of another Melbourne derby at AAMI Park.
"Weekend just gone wasn't good enough. We've copped it from from the boss, especially and I think we needed that," D'Agostino told reporters on Tuesday.
"Especially being so early in the season, I think it's good to have one of those little wake-up calls.
"It was just disappointing. You can see the fight was there, but we didn't have the aggression, we weren't winning tackles.
"It wasn't good enough. So we need to lift this weekend, and if we play like that we're going to get battered.
"We obviously have to perform and just bring the fight."
Saturday night's game, in front of a bustling AAMI Park, shapes as the perfect scene for a response.
"It's a derby. It always should be fiery," D'Agostino said.
"But especially this weekend.
"We have a lot to prove, not just to the fans and to the boss but to ourselves.
"We've got a lot of quality and we just need to show that angry side of us that wasn't there this weekend."
City star Jamie Maclaren was itching for a fiery contest.
"These are the games that both sets of players want to play in," he said.
"Really excited. They're always quite fiery, which is normal in a derby. You wish you play them every week. We look forward to it."
Maclaren had some strapping on his right knee after a training knock but said there was little to worry about.
"It's nothing, I bumped into a young player (at training) and I drive an hour and a half each way," he said.
"Thought I'd bandage it up. Bit of mind games, nothing wrong with me, you'll see me out there on Saturday."
