Victory have only won three of their 11 games and sit in eighth spot on the ladder.

It's an unusual spot for the A-League powerhouse that has won four grand finals and three premierships.

But ex-Victory coach Merrick is not reading too much into their current form and remains wary of the talent at their disposal.

"It's just the quality of the players they have," he said.

"With the forward line they have, they put the ball in the box and Toivonen’s there or Robbie Kruse is there or Andrew Nabbout.

"We put the ball in the box and we don’t have these experienced players who know where to be or when to be there.

"If those three played with us they’d have a barrowload of goals, but it’s just what it is."

Newcastle are on the bottom of the competition but eked out a draw in their last match against Brisbane Roar.

"The boys showed they could fight right until the end," Merrick said.

"We’re disappointed not to get the three points, but the performance was impressive... It’s the fighting spirit we need. That’s what the fans were really keen on."

With a third of the season already gone, Merrick knows the importance of the clash against Victory and notching wins.

"We have to play our best football every week and perform for our fans who have been so supportive," the Scotsman said.

"We need to do well, we need to start taking the three points. We have to take our chances."