In situ until the end of the current campaign, ex-Socceroo Vidmar has endured a tumultuous four plus months as successor to Rado Vidosic.

But recent pivotal wins over A-League leaders Wellington Phoenix (1-0), and the 7-0 subjugation of playoff rivals Western Sydney Wanderers have propelled City back onto the cusp of the top six, and shone a positive light on Vidmar.

The previously embattled coach’s methods appear to have finally found traction with a talented but previously disjointed collective of players and Arslan, for one, believes the 57-year-old possesses the coaching gravitas to continue the upward trajectory going into Saturday’s visit of struggling Newcastle Jets to AAMI Park.

“It wasn’t easy for him coming in because we had a big turnover of players at the club, with around 10 new players coming in,” the former Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Udinese playmaker told FTBL.

“As well, there was the Champions League with all the travel. It cost us a lot of energy and we struggled, to be honest.

“I don’t think my three game absence after the red card (punishment for comments made to a referee) helped either.

“But, look, I think Aurelio is the right manager for this club. He has a great understanding and knowledge of the game in his time playing in Europe and then also as a coach with the Australian national team.

“In my opinion he’s tactically very smart and I think he’ll help the team a lot moving forward. I think you can already see that starting to happen.

“If it’s up to me of course I will keep him but it’s all about being successful and we’ll have to see how the season ends.”

Arslan, who played for both Turkey and Germany at youth level, and still not far removed from his prime at 33, views Vidmar’s man management attributes as key in the coming weeks.

“It really helps that he played at a very high level because you have that element of respect for him from the players,” he added.

“I think he understands us and the situation we’re in and with the changes he’s made to the lineup in the last couple of games I feel there’s been a positive benefit.

“I think that tells you a bit about his quality as well. We’re in a better place now but we have keep improving. Nobody can be sure of their place in the team. It has to be a competition for every position.

“It’s a tough league and that makes it very exciting for fans.”

Despite having played in front of big crowds and febrile atmospheres in Europe, Arslan insists his motivation to excel remains the same in a competition struggling to catch the imagination of supporters.

“Here you have to prepare yourself perfectly,” he said. “I think the biggest motivation for me is that every team wants to beat Melbourne City.

“I just enjoy being out on the pitch and I like the life here and so does my family.”

Arslan has the option of a second year in his adopted home, but isn’t pre-empting what might lie around the next corner.

“I’ve learned in football you never know what comes next but for now I’m very happy to stay. Let’s see what the next few months brings. The most important thing is for the team to be successful,” he reiterated.

It was a case of wanderlust which brought Arslan down under, eschewing several tempting offers elsewhere to sample life in the A-League.

“I had some chances to go to some of the best leagues in the world but I wanted to come here in good shape, not at the end of my career,” he explained.

“I wanted to impress people here and be part of something. I really believe football is the next big thing in Australia, and hopefully I can be part of it.

“I could have stayed with Udinese also in Serie A (where he made 32 appearances last season) but I really wanted to try something new. We fixed the transfer in three days - that’s how sure I was in making this move.

“The A-League in terms of physicality is at a high level, the players are strong and fast and work extremely hard. Of course there are some tactical and technical things that can improve but I think the league is good.

“I’ve been impressed because I imagined the quality would be a bit less. It’s not that easy to play here. You have to be fit and in good shape, just like in Italy.

“For me, I know what I’m going to do before I even receive the ball. That’s what maybe is missing here. You have to see the second or third step already and I think that’s one of my strengths.

“If you hold the ball too long or are slow to make decision they’re going to come hard for you.”

Arslan has put behind him the three match ban for the outburst at referee Shane Skinner during the 4-2 loss to Perth Glory which resulted in a straight red card.

“It was mentally hard to be honest,” he admitted. “I play with passion but my last red card was in 2009 but they made their decision and I have to accept that.

“But we are footballers not robots and I think fans want to see our passion, that’s why they pay to see us play.

“It seemed like they (the authorities) wanted to show me in a different way but I’ve never been that type of person. That’s why it was hard to understand.

“But I realise that you also have to protect referees because they’re vital to our game, and together we have to make the game more beautiful for our fans.”