Wellington Phoenix 2015-16 team preview

Wellington Phoenix 2015-16 team preview

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Our A-League team previews wrap up with a look at the side from across the Ditch.

Offseason Transfers

The biggest news for the Phoenix is that last season’s club top goalscorer and Johnny Warren medalist Nathan Burns has departed for FC Tokyo in a lucrative deal. In his place, highly rated Ghanian marquee signing Jeffrey Sarpong has stepped into the Phoenix fold on a free transfer from NAC Breda in the Dutch Eredivisie. This year, the Phoenix team will need Sarpong and last year’s Dutch revelation Roly Bonevacia to step up as the club’s key performers.

Having lost Burns, a lot will be expected of Sarpong, who has played more than 100 games in the Dutch Eredivisie as a central-attacking-midfielder or winger for Ajax and NAC Breda, as well as 19 games for Real Sociedad in the Spanish La Liga, to do the job for the Nix. It is also a chance for Fijian flyer Roy Krishna to further his career and become a senior marksman in the A-League this season.

Jeffrey Sarpong (right) playing for Ajax in 2008
Jeffrey Sarpong (right) playing for Ajax in 2008

Two other signings on free transfers are forward Blake Powell and defender Troy Danaskos, both signed from Australian New South Wales National Premier Leagues teams, with Powell top scoring for APIA Leichhardt in the 2014-15 season with 31 goals in 28 appearances and Danaskos impressing while on trial from Sydney Olympic.

Among five players released from the club were All Whites internationals Tyler Boyd and Michael Boxall. Boyd has departed to the Portuguese side Vitória de Guímarães, who play in the Premeira Liga, and Boxall joins fellow All White and former Phoenix striker Jeremy Brockie at SuperSport United in South Africa. Costa Rican speedster Kenny Cunningham also departed, after being used as mainly an impact sub in his last season.

Six youth squad players have signed professional contracts with the club, including under-17 All Whites James McGarry and Logan Rogerson and All Whites under-20 internationals Joel Stevens and Andrew Blake, as well as goalkeeper Oliver Sail. 

Last Season

The 2014 season was the club’s eighth year in Australasia’s premier football competition and a season in which they participated in the inaugural season of the FFA Cup. Yet the Phoenix were eliminated in the round of 32 by eventual winners Adelaide United. Despite summiting the A-League table for the first time in the club’s history and holding top spot for three weeks from weeks 21 to 23 on the A-League calendar, the Nix eventually finished up in fourth position, matching their 2009-10 and 2011-12 regular season finishes.

However, despite earning a home elimination final, they fell to Melbourne City 2-0 and a season that had promised so much ended prematurely. Merrick had established his team the year previously, imprinting his style on them so that they played more open and expansive football than the long ball to target man style in the Ricki Herbet era Phoenix. The players were playing with a freedom previously unseen at the club.

A first club hat-trick (to Nathan Burns) in a 5-1 thrashing of Melbourne City galvanised the team, sending the Phoenix on a seven-match undefeated streak, with six wins and a draw. Then, despite two away losses, the Phoenix bounced back with two home draws and four hard-fought wins, with three of those coming away from home, to climb to the top of the table for a brief three weeks.

The spirit in the team was clear; Bonevacia, Boxall and Krishna were performing well. Joel Griffiths had made an immediate impact as a summer transfer window signing, and Burns had risen from the ashes with the Nix to rekindle his fading Socceroos career. It was not to be, as injury struck for Griffiths and Burns could not score in the final five games of the season. 

Manager

The most successful coach in A-League history with Melbourne Victory in a six-year spell which included two championship and premiership titles in the 2006-07 and 2008-09 seasons, recipient of an Order of Australia award in 2014 and A-League Coach of the Year Awards in the 2006-07 and 2009-10 seasons, Scotsman Ernie Merrick needs little introduction to A-League fans. Now in his third season with the Phoenix, a lot is expected of Merrick and his charges this time around. Merrick has a habit of converting players into different positions as he has demonstrated with Alex Rodriguez and Louis Fenton in the past, so it would not be surprising to see the winger/attacking-midfielder Sarpong play up front as a main striker.

The gaffer: Ernie Merrick
The gaffer: Ernie Merrick

Strengths

This Phoenix team boasts a talented roster of senior and youth players in midfield and attack so expect a lot of flair and skill on display this season. With 35 goals scored in 14 preseason games, and Kwabena Appiah in particular looking increasingly dangerous (he also got on the scoresheet in the 1-0 FFA Cup round of 32 victory against Central Coast), expect there to be plenty of goals scored by the men in gold and black this season.

There is plenty of firepower in reserve as Powell, Rufer and Stevens can all contribute goals and style to the attack. For all the inexperience up front, there is a lot of talent and promise from the youngsters and they look set to make a significant impact this season.

Weaknesses

Despite the myriad of goals scored, the defence looks to be an issue this season for the Phoenix, with 27 goals conceded (including a 5-1 drubbing by Melbourne City in the round of 16 in the FFA Cup) and only two clean sheets in 14 preseason games. Veteran centre-back pairing and club captain/vice-captain Andrew Durante and Ben Sigmund have each recently retired from international football and have no proven defensive reinforcements following the departure of least season’s starting right-back Boxall.

Injuries to either of these club stalwarts could cause some real problems for the Phoenix this season. An absence of pace in the defensive areas becomes a real concern when Manny Muscat is playing at left-back. However, the experience of these three will be a deciding factor of the Phoenix’s success or failure, come the opening game of the 2015-16 season.

Key Player

A lot will be expected of Sarpong, as he makes the step from the Eredisive to the A-League, but the key man will be Bonevacia. Only 23, Bonevacia played 58 times in the Eredivisie before moving to the Phoenix and in his first season demonstrated his qualities as a creative, ball-playing midfielder, with six assists and four goals in 28 games for the Nix, as well as 32 total chances created. Bonevacia’s pairing with Rodriguez or Michael McGlinchey in midfield will be crucial to the Phoenix chance creation and transition to attack this season. Bonevacia showed glimpses of what he could to last season and this year could be the year that he truly steps up to fully endear himself to the Yellow Fever as a potential club hero.

Best XI

(4-1-2-3): Moss (GK); Fenton, Sigmund, Durante, Muscat; Riera; Bonevacia, Rodriguez; Krishna, McGlinchey, Appiah.

Prediction

This is the season that the Phoenix need to fire. Merrick needs to get the most from his men. His pedigree and ability are undeniable and he has the right mixture of attacking players in his squad to make a sustained play-off run. A priority needs to be to sign a top-class defender in the summer transfer window as a solid replacement for Boxall has not been found as yet. Expect the Nix to make the play-offs after another rollercoaster season that could see them finish third on the table (their best ever finish) and, after an entertaining play-off run, fall at the semi-final stage. However, if Merrick can use his experience and talents as a man manager, they could make it all the way to the final.

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