Melbourne City’s derby preparations remained unchanged despite departure of Victory coach Patrick Kisnorbo

Melbourne City remains focused on the club’s derby task rather than be worried about the consequences of Melbourne Victory losing the services of coach Patrick Kisnorbo.

Melbourne City star Marco Tilio remains sidelined and will miss Saturday night’s derby. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Melbourne City mentor Aurelio Vidmar admits he’s unsure what to expect in Saturday night’s derby from a Melbourne Victory team still coming to terms with this week’s shock departure of coach Patrick Kisnorbo.

Former Socceroos defender Kisnorbo stunned the A-League fraternity with his sudden decision to quit the Victory just two months into his first season with the club.

It’s understood Kisnorbo has accepted an assistant coaching role at Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos, where he will work under newly appointed head coach, Englishman Steve Holland.

“It’s football, isn’t it?” Vidmar said on Friday in commenting on Kisnorbo’s departure from a Victory side sitting in third place on the ladder.

“I didn’t expect it, and I think it was a surprise. It’s probably a little bit unusual that it happened like seven or eight weeks into the season, but those sorts of things happen in football all the time.”

📬 Squads are in!

See them now ⤵️

— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) December 19, 2024

Kisnorbo’s former assistant at the Victory, Arthur Diles, has been elevated to the interim head coaching role.

Among those linked to the Victory job include a trio of the club’s former players – Besart Berisha, Mark Milligan and Harry Kewell.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in terms of how they are mentally, but they’re professional footballers, and they’re up for a derby, so we’ve prepared in that way, regardless who’s sitting on the bench as their head coach,” Vidmar said.

“It doesn’t change anything in terms of what we’re doing, who’s on the bench, who’s on the park, it’s exactly the same for us.

“We know it’s a big game. It always is a big game, and we’re looking forward to it.”

The teams have already met once this season, with the Victory winning 3-1 in October in a match that was as good as over after 25 minutes when the Victory led 3-0.

Saturday night awaits 💥

🎟 https://t.co/mGrQZNN9gspic.twitter.com/Kjicg59MYy

— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) December 19, 2024

“We certainly had a big discussion about making sure that it never happens again,” Vidmar said.

“That (first) 30 minutes was probably our worst 30 minutes of football all season and the game was over by then, so we have to be absolutely 100 per cent ready for all the small details of the duels and 50-50s in games and derbies where sometimes the ugly things are the things that matter.

“That’s what they had the upper hand on us in that first game, and we have to make sure we at least get that right.”

City’s key attacking pair of Mathew Leckie and Marco Tilio remained sidelined with leg injuries.
“We’re probably not going to make a real clear decision until the new year,” Vidmar said when asked when Leckie and Tilio would return.
“I can’t give you a timeframe. They’re jogging, but not doing a hell of a lot of high speed (running) where we can confidently can say that they’re ready.”