KEY POINTS:
Marquee signing Ahmed Elrich is due to join the Wellington Phoenix in the next day or two but coach Ricki Herbert is making no promises he will be pitched straight into action.
Encouraged by his team's battling 2-2 drew with Adelaide United in Wellington on Saturday night, Herbert admits it would be a tough call to make changes to the team who have picked up four of a possible six points in their past two outings.
"We have great back-up across the board," said Herbert. "There are players like Tim Brown, Royce Brownlie, Vaughan Coveny, George Paladini, Mark Paston and Vince Lia who are all keen to play. Add in Elrich and you can see the cover we have."
Herbert says in allowing the same players to continue together, the understanding will only improve.
"You can see how the relationship between the two Brazilians [Felipe and Daniel] and Shane Smeltz is taking time. But it is getting better and will continue to develop."
Herbert said that while they have played with Smeltz as the sole striker, he may look at playing two up front in Sunday's home game against Perth.
"That would help take some of the pressure off him. But, having said that, he is doing a good job."
Herbert again expressed some concerns over the way Felipe and Daniel are being treated.
"We want players to be given a fair opportunity," said Herbert. "I don't tell my players to dive but it's not my interpretation that matters."
The 12,000 crowd on Saturday night took the tally from three home matches to about 37,000 - more than the Knights managed in the whole of the 2006-07 season.
* A teleconference call among the four nations and the Oceania Football Confederation tomorrow will consider a plea to delay Oceania World Cup matches set down for next month between New Zealand and Vanuatu and Fiji and New Caledonia.
