Melbourne Victory are nailed to the bottom of the table, beset by injuries and struggling to score but midfielder Rai Marchan is confident the A-League Men battlers can still find their bite.
Victory take on 10th-placed Western United on Monday night desperately eyeing a return to the winners' list after a loss and draw, and just one goal, in their past two games.
"It's true that this season we are struggling scoring goals and we are not good enough - we know it," Marchan said.
"We speak to each other in the change room and we know we have to change this situation as soon as possible, we know that the end of the season is coming.
"So now we have an opportunity this Monday to start a good run, to change the dynamic, to keep working.
"The last three games the team has been a lot more consistent in the way we are defending and the way we are creating chances, so hopefully we get the win that we need and start a good run."
Star playmaker Jake Brimmer (knee) is sidelined, while Victory have lacked personnel continuity throughout the season with Paul Izzo, Roderick Miranda and Jason Geria all having had to fight back from injuries.
Marchan, who missed a chunk of the campaign through concussion, admitted it had been frustrating.
"It's been a really messy season for us - a lot of injuries from the start," he said.
"It's really frustrating for us, for the coach, for the fans, for the club in general.
"But when you are at a club like Melbourne Victory, everyone has the level to perform ... we cannot think about the players who are injured. We have to perform."
Marchan was wary of what United, bolstered by a new contract signed during the week by head coach John Aloisi, could deliver.
"They are a tough rival," he said.
"The way they play, they make the other teams always feel uncomfortable.
"They make you feel that you have control of the game but they succeed in controlling what happens, because they give you the ball but then they have the space to counter-attack and they are really good at it.
"They are really competitive, they are always chasing you down, they make hard challenges.
"If we equal that effort, those challenges, we are going to be able to beat them."
