Interim head coach Jean-Paul de Marigny says he is relishing the lead up and challenge ahead of his first Sydney Derby in charge of the Wanderers.
The last time the two sides met, de Marigny was on the bench as the assistant to Markus Babbel as the Red & Black broke a string of losses to their bitter rivals with a 1-0 win in a round three game at Bankwest Stadium.
The former Socceroo took charge of the side for the first time last week following the departure of Babbel and led them to a 3-1 win over the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford – a result that revived the club’s finals hopes.
While that victory was important in the overall scheme of things, de Marigny understands the hype and pressure is multiplied 100 times when it comes to games against Sydney FC.
“It’s about embracing the Derby and enjoying it,” de Marigny said. “We all know it is a great occasion for the fans, for the clubs and for the players.
“That’s what we train hard for, these types of games and we are all looking forward to a good performance.”
De Marigny said the mood in the Wanderers camp has been very positive.
“It’s a big match, we all know that,” de Marigny said.
“I just spoke to the boys and stressed that it’s all about being positive. It’s about being aggressive, about believing in the structure and having belief in each other.
“It’s a great challenge and opportunity for us to make another statement.”
De Marigny indicated that recent signing Simon Cox is in the mix for a starting spot.
The former Irish international made a promising start to his Wanderers career when he came on as a substitute in the second half.
Cox earned the penalty for the second goal then showed plenty of poise to slot away the third goal to open his goalscoring account for the club.
“Simon was excellent when he came on. He had a massive input on the game as every player did,” de Marigny said.
“He will definitely be involved in the game at some time. It could be from the start, but I am not too sure just yet.
“His fitness is good and our conditioner Andy Davies says he has a lot of minutes in his legs.”
