A disappointing end to a phenomenal campaign took some of the shine off the Wellington Phoenix’s season 2014-15. However, the Phoenix were still arguably the biggest surprise package and the most improved team of the season.
In Ernie Merrick’s second season in charge, the Phoenix were able to turn a ninth place finish in the season prior into a top four finish, which included three weeks on top of the table, and a best ever points haul in the regular season.
The team will be hungry to not only match but better its performance with a deeper run in the finals series once the new season kicks off in October.
There are numerous positives which Merrick and his men will want to retain from this season.
First and foremost, the fearlessness with which the Phoenix approached every match is something critical to the success of the team. This belief in the squad and its style of play, no matter the location or opposition, ensured the Phoenix never settled for anything less than the three points.
This dauntless approach was highlighted in Wellington’s 3-1 win over Adelaide United on New Year’s Eve and helped them to plenty of wins on the road – namely their 2-0 victory over Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium and their 3-2 comeback win against Melbourne Victory.
The key to this fearlessness were the tactics and attacking game plan set up by Merrick. Whilst a solid defence was vital to the success of the game plan, it was not the centrepiece of the Phoenix’s game.
The attacking prowess of the likes of Michael McGlinchey, Nathan Burns, Roy Krishna, Roly Bonevacia – and later in the season Joel Griffiths and on occasion Jeremy Brockie, before his departure, Kenny Cunningham and Tyler Boyd – was always present.
The team Wellington put out never sat back nor was afraid to get numbers forward. It was this attacking style of play, and the almost instantaneous gelling of the front half players, which aided the Phoenix’s success for the large majority of the season.
A key component of Merrick’s attacking game plan was the utilisation of the wide players and exploiting the space down the flanks. Burns and Krishna were the main goalscorers for the campaign and played predominantly out on the wings. The pace of Krishna and the smart positioning of Burns made them difficult to defend against. As well as those two, Michael Boxall and Louis Fenton, when they played in their respective full-back positions, consistently got forward, made overlapping runs, put in decent crosses and even got on the scoresheet.
In order to make next season more successful, there are a few key areas which the Phoenix need to work on over the offseason, both in their style of play and in their recruitment.
First and foremost, the team from Wellington needs to pick up an out-and-out striker. This links to the Phoenix’s need for a plan B when their wide players are being shut down by opposition defences.
In season 2014-15, Griffiths, who signed on late in the season, was incredibly important for the Phoenix and his inclusion in the squad provided an alternate route to goal.
A central striker, much like Griffiths, who could be brought on as an impact player and be known to score goals when it counted would lift the Phoenix’s game, add some depth to their attacking stocks and make them even more potent in the front third.
With Griffiths’ rupturing his ACL after being offered a preliminary contract extension with the club, it is clear that Merrick wants a striker but will need to recruit wisely to ensure this player fits into the Phoenix’s preferred style of play.
Another aspect which requires some attention over the offseason is the midfield. Merrick’s tactics rely on a midfield which controls the tempo of the game. Although this happened regularly enough for the Phoenix to collect plenty of points during the season, when the midfield was off it was difficult for the Phoenix to transition from defence to attack and vice versa.
While Albert Riera and Roly Bonevacia were two of the Phoenix’s best players all season, that third midfield spot was switched and swapped between Alex Rodriguez and Vince Lia. With Riera providing cover for the defence and Bonevacia finding his feet as an attacking midfielder, the Phoenix need a real central midfielder, someone who can play box-to-box and assist both the attack and defence.
If the Phoenix are able to build on the successes of this campaign, a solid preseason and some more intelligent recruiting from Merrick and his staff will ensure that Wellington go above and beyond what was achieved in season 2014-15.
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