Football: Phoenix finding their groove

The Phoenix look on track for a deep run into the post-season given their position midway through the A-League season. Photo / Getty Image

The Wellington Phoenix have crept past the halfway point of their 2014-2015 A-League campaign and are sitting pretty in second place on the ladder as the competition takes a break for the Asian Cup. Daniel Richardson looks at what has been good and bad about their first 14 games and offers a prediction for the finals.

The good

The new recruits have come off

Michael McGlinchey, Nathan Burns, Roly Bonevacia and Alex Rodriguez are the names that highlight a stellar recruiting class. Burns leads the golden boot standings with 10 goals, while Bonevacia may be the most technically-correct player to have represented the Phoenix. McGlinchey has proven the off-season tug-of-war with the Mariners was worth the hassle and Rodriguez's good work often goes unnoticed.

They're scoring goals
Wellington lead the competition alongside Melbourne Victory with 28 goals from 14 games, which has been the basis for their success. Coach Ernie Merrick believes in an attacking approach, which makes Wellington an entertaining side to watch.

Roy rising
Roy Krishna arrived in Wellington during the middle of last season with a ton of pace and a reputation for tearing up the ASB Premiership. It has taken time but the Fijian international has made good on that potential, while forming a dynamic attacking combination with Burns. Krishna has scored five goals this season with more likely to follow.

The defence has tightened
After a leaky start to the summer, Wellington now has the equal-best defensive record in the competition having only conceded 14 goals. This has been done largely on the back of a great campaign from skipper Andrew Durante, while his mate in central defence, Ben Sigmund, has also been resolute.

Depth
Tyler Boyd is an All White and he can't command a starting spot.

Finally, a hat-trick
It's probably not a major milestone but Burns completed the first Phoenix treble during a 5-1 romp in round eight against Melbourne City in the club's 194th A-League game.

The bad

Wasting an import slot?

Kenny Cunningham played 23 games last season and contributed seven goals but the forward has fallen out of Merrick's plans lately. This year he has scored only one goal from nine appearances with one start. Given Cunningham fills one of the five valuable import slots you have to question whether he has a future in Wellington.

Frail fullbacks
Is anyone really convinced about Louis Fenton as a long-term right back? The 21-year-old loves to get forward - a big part of Merrick's tactics for his fullbacks - but he is often caught out of position in defence. Manny Muscat holds the fort admirably at left back but his inability to hit long passes with his left foot has been exposed on occasion.

Boutique football
The 9000-seat Hutt Recreation Ground will be used for Wellington's next three home games in February and March due to Westpac Stadium being used for the Cricket World Cup. Many fans have called for a smaller, intimate venue and it will be interesting to see if people fill the stands in Lower Hutt.

Prediction

How will they go in last 13 games?

The Phoenix, who return to action following the Asian Cup break on February 2 against the Roar in Brisbane, are on track for a top-four spot and a home playoff game. Merrick has this team humming and everyone is buying in. On track for a deep post-season run.