Who are the players who link up most in the tight web of deft-touch passes and what sort of territory they cover while ensuring they maintain their shape.
Every player, including the goalkeeper, is adept in executing crisp passes to ensure they are capable of building attacks from their own goal line.
That sort of information has rendered traditional statistics, such as number of corners and shots on target, meaningless.
For instance, there's little point in fans frothing around the mouth every time a side claims a corner simply because what is perceived to be a scoring opportunity could easily become a counterattack for a side who have a propensity to use a precision structure, when fuelled with pace, to do the unthinkable against the run of play.
Rovers captain Fergus Neil had lamented his troops' lack of cohesiveness in the loss at Bluewater Stadium but rightly forecast they were going to become better with time.
The Blues have changed gears to scramble up the ladder to a distant fourth place on 14 points, below Suburbs (23 points), Wairarapa United (22) and Stop Out (17). The Rovers are on the same points with Miramar Rangers and Wellington United but have a better differential.
"I think we'll know that we've come a long way since then," says Neil. "It's kind of a good chance to see where we're at against a team who are at the top of the league."
The 25-year-old, who is halfway through his teaching degree at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Taradale while teaching at Frimley School, had bemoaned creating numerous chances but failing to put them away.
He believes the two sides shares similar philosophies but is mindful Western Suburbs like to keep the ball on a leash a lot more, even though not making inroads whereas the Rovers have a tendency to convert that possession and territory into a purposeful drive to break down oppositions.
That should make for an intriguing encounter because possession will dictate dominance as neither team like to cough it up and then wait patiently to regather.
"When we do lose the ball high up the pitch we always try to win it back as soon as we can so that's when we regroup to recover to get behind the ball as a team."
After posting five victories in a row, the visitors have momentum on their side but they will be missing frisky forager Angus Kilkolly who is serving a match suspension after accumulating five yellow cards.
Kilkolly has scored 23 goals, including two cup matches, but it's an opportunity for someone else, such as vice-captain Joshua Stevenson, Canadian import Jean-Michel Paulin or even veteran midfielder Chris McIvor, to show a nose for scoring.
"We're going to miss him this weekend, It's unfortunate he's been suspended because he's in the form, of his life and he's banging in goals for fun," says Neil of the 21-year-old, echoing the sentiments that it is an opportune time for others to hog some limelight.
"We've got a little bit of depth so we're not lost without him but he's obviously a big player for us."
That Ihaia Delaney drew first blood in just 30 seconds to set the tone of the match here places equal emphasis on committing unforced errors.
Leftback Neil, Danny Wilson, Matt Bruin and James Hoyle were critical in the backline in disrupting any concerted efforts from the Suburbs so that will be equally imperative although Wilson, nursing a broken nose last weekend, doesn't travel.
It'll help that player-coach Bill Robertson is back in the equation in the only other change to the Rovers' playing squad.
Switching on, Neil says, will be vital because the calibre of the opposition demands that.
The Blues are coming off a 5-1 walloping of Lower Hutt City in their league clash at Marewa Park last Saturday as well as 2-1 statement over Wellington Olympic in their round two Chatham Cup at Park Island on Queen's Birthday Monday.
Conversely the hosts pipped the Greeks 2-1 away last Saturday and flogged Alexander Electric Napier Marist 7-1 in the cup in Wellington.
If anything, tomorrow's game will be an ideal gauge for Robertson and co to tweak their systems before hosting arch rivals Wairarapa United in round three of the cup on Sunday, June 25.
"We need to be pulling in the gap on the teams on the top so the only way of doing it is it to keep on winning," says Neil.
BOTH TEAMS
■WESTERN SUBURBS: 1 Reed Collingwood, 2 Jonty Bilderbeck, 3 Kyle Adams, 4 Dalton Wilkins, 6 Michael Faber, 7 Elijah Just, 8 Alex Clayton, 9 Ahmad Mohammadi, 11 Xavier Green, 12 Dominic Woolridge, 14 Owen Parker-Price, 16 Harry Edge, 17 Ben Sippola, 19 Ihaia Delaney, 21 Andrew Withers, 22 Blake Jones.
Coach: Declan Edge.
Ast coach: Paul Woolridge.
■ NAPIER CITY ROVERS: Ruben Parker Hanks (GK), 2 Blake Koolen, 5 Matt Bruin, 6 Oliver Coren, 7 Jean-Michel Paulin, 8 Chris McIvor, 10 Fahad Rwakarambwe, 12 Ethan Ladd, 14 Joshus Stevenson (vc), 15 James Hoyle, 17 Fergus Neil (c), 18 Ross Willox, 20 Charlie Yexley, Kyle Baxter (RGK).
Coach: Bill Robertson.
Ast coach: Jim Neil.
