Ernie! Where Are The Phoenix At?
It's been an interesting season so far for the Wellington Phoenix with a wealth of optimism surrounding the crew from Wellington, which has been well and truly justified. The Nix farewelled Jeremy Brockie in spectacular fashion, wiping the floor of the Brisbane Roar 3-1 which leaves at a rather awkward junction. It's an awkward junction that provides a nice opportunity to take a deeper look at how the Phoenix are tracking.
I must stress right from the jump that ours and hopefully your optimism has been rewarded. The Phoenix are 2nd on the damn A-League table and after a fair while being disappointed by the Phoenix, we're finally able to look at the Nix and be as proud as punch. The best thing has been how the Nix have improved gradually over the season and still have plenty of room left to go.
The guys that Ernie Merrick brought in to the squad have all been pretty freaking good. Obviously that starts with Nathan Burns who has led the line for the Nix, putting goals away left right and centre as well as adding some much needed class to provide opportunities for those around him. I feel like I'm probably going to repeat myself with all the major signings as they have all done a fantastic job, but Burns has been the stand out. I also feel like Burns has instilled a great sense of confidence throughout the squad as he isn't the 'all about me' striker that many teams seem to sign. He's equally talented in offering some razzle dazzle, banging one in thanks to an individual effort as he is providing someone else with an opportunity.
The overall skill level of the signings is awesome with Michael McGlinchey, Roly Bonevacia and Alex Rodriquez all gifted footballers. They are all versatile and willing to put that versatility in to action as they roll around the field in a fluid motion, filling different positions during the game. We've also seen these lads do a job for Ernie, with a prime example being Bonevacia being pushed forward against the Roar. While they are able to roll through different areas of the field during the game, being an absolute bitch to mark, they all offer Ernie plenty of options tactically.
The pass first mentality showcases their ability to get in to threatening areas and deliver it on a platter for their comrade, while their all technically good enough to hold the ball under pressure. I honestly think the talent that the Nix have brought in has raised the confidence levels of the whole squad and now we're seeing a variety of players eager to run at their defender and back themselves. While this usually results in a stumble dribble, in typical A-league fashion, it is rewarded with opportunities being created.
While everything is looking good up the field with Roy Krishna emerging as a potent threat up front alongside Burns, McGlinchey and Bonevacia, the key is the Nix's defence. I'd like to point out that this starts up front, with plenty of effort and enthusiasm shown by the strikers to put defenders under pressure which ensures that they aren't able to get their heads up and pick out damaging passes. Again, they can quickly fill defensive positions and then put pressure on the opposing fullbacks with a solid foundation behind them.
At their best, the Nix funnel everything in to the middle of the field where Albert Riera is situated, always. There are many A-League teams who can navigate their way in to the midfield and look to attack the goal from there, but the Nix are able to deal with that because Riera is always there in front of Ben Sigmund and Andrew Durante. That triangle (Rodriquez does feature as well, but Riera is the key man) is always set up and ready to go to war with anyone who tries to attack up the guts. Riera is also a great passer of the ball and so any turnovers that end up at his feet are crisply sent forwards to an attacker and a counter attack is in full motion.
For me the weakest part of the Nix defence has been out wide, but the return of Manny Muscat should change that. With the defence strong up the guts, the Nix tend to push their opponent out wide where the likes of Tom Doyle and Louis Fenton have been defending and they have struggled to handle many of the best wingers in the league. Muscat offers a 'ball or the man' mentality which is perfect, if he can stay on the field, while Fenton is warming to the task on the right so I expect things to continue to get better in this department. Fenton's a key man because he loves to get forward and his attacking prowess gives the Nix some much needed width in attack.
The Nix face a few weeks with no A-League action, which could be a great chance to rest or it could result in them saying goodbye to any momentum they had gained. It's impossible to tell right now, we'll have to wait and see there but over the past few weeks we've seen that the Nix have depth. Doyle got a good run with Muscat on the sidelines while Tyler Boyd and Kenny Cunningham both made an impact recently as well and there's some youngsters waiting in the wings as well. Hopefully the next time the Nix play they'll have Burns and Krishna leading the line, but we all know that it takes more than 11 players to win any football league and it's good to know we have guys who can do a job up our sleeve.
You could be satisfied, the Nix are 2nd on the ladder and are a great team to watch so all is well. But everyone within the Nix will be wanting more, as they should and there's a genuine opportunity to kick on to challenge for the title. That's where their return after the Asian Cup will be a big moment in their season, hopefully they can not only come back after the break and perform, but also continue to rise to new heights. Everyone in the A-League knows what the Phoenix now offer, so the challenge for them is to chase perfection.