Valeri provided an insight into the confidence Victory's players have in their own abilities when The World Game asked him how he thought his side was faring heading towards the business end of the season.
"I think we're placed pretty good," Valeri said. "The thing about us is we've been beaten a few times this season, but when we have I feel the other team has never really earned a win against us.
"It's just kind of happened, whether it was a last-minute goal or something that, you know, we gave them a win. I don't feel a team's ever beaten us or taken the three points by playing us off the park.
"I think, mentally, when we play against teams it's tough for them as well, knowing it's hard to play Victory off the park and that they've got to be at their best to beat us."
Victory has recorded 10 wins, seven draws and just three losses this season. It has the equal-lowest number of losses, with Sydney FC.
Victory's losses have come against Perth Glory (2-1), Melbourne City (1-0) and Wellington Phoenix (3-2).
Glory led 2-0 and survived a Victory fight-back, City won with a very late goal and Victory paid the price against Wellington, missing a heap of first-half chances.
Valeri, who is in his first season in the A-League after playing overseas for a decade, says he isn't criticising the quality of other teams and says he rates the other top sides very highly - he just believes in Victory's ability to get the job done against all-comers if his team is on its game.
"It's not being over-confident," Valeri said. "Maybe it's just me loving the team. I'm loving the way we play, I really enjoy it. I enjoy watching it or watching over it, I think we play some fantastic football.
"I'm not saying other teams don't, I'm just saying the level of all the teams is amazing and from what I hear it's getting stronger every year.
"I watch teams like Adelaide and Sydney, who play fantastic football, Brisbane too. There are some good teams out there, but I just feel we've never been out-played on the pitch and Victory is only getting better.
"We've had some tough games, obviously. Most games are in this league, but I've never come off the pitch feeling like we've been out-played. I've always felt like we should have scored, we could have done this or we could have defended better.
"It's a credit to the players and staff here, we work very hard at training. The intensity is unbelievable and the boys who are trying to get into the team have driven the boys who are starting. The competition for places is unbelievable and you can see that in the games."
Victory is third on the table on 37 points, two points behind leader Wellington and one behind Sydney FC. Fourth-placed Perth is also on 37 and next is Adelaide on 36. Adelaide will play Victory at Coopers Stadium on Saturday night.
But Victory still has its destiny in its own hands because it has a game in hand on all of the other teams still in the running for the Premier's Plate.
Victory's results since the Asian Cup break have been a little inconsistent. It has gone draw, win, draw, loss, draw and win since then, but it has had no problem creating chances - it has just missed too many of them.
"We started after the Asian Cup break looking a bit too far ahead and losing our way instead of concentrating on what's in front of us," Valeri said.
"We got a bit complacent and ended up copping some silly goals against Wellington. I feel we dominated that game, but Wellington took their chances well and they're not at the top of the table by chance. It's well deserved.
"I'm not taking anything away from them, but we learnt our lesson and we know what we've got to do and that's why a team like us has been at the top. We're still learning and I think our best football is yet to come.
"Adelaide is a fantastic team and we're 100 per cent focused on that game. Every game's a big game from now on, because it's so close on the table. Every game's a final."
Valeri says the recent return from injury of central defender Matthieu Delpierre had boosted the team considerably.
"Yeah, someone like Matthieu really guides that whole defensive unit with his experience," he said. "But, you know, the first defender of the team is the striker. Strikers get the credit for goals and defenders get credit for defence, but we work hard as a team.
"We try to play attacking football because that's where our strength lies. We probably did concede some silly and avoidable goals in the last few weeks, but we're learning our lessons each week and that is the sign of a humble team.
"A team that wants to win has to be open to learn from its mistakes."
