December the 2nd produced a 1-0 win for the Phoenix over newcomers Western Sydney Wanderers, courtesy of a bizarre goal from Jeremy Brockie where the wind made a mockery of the Wanderers goalkeeper. I guess you could blame the weather for this one. Crowd was approximately 5,500.
The next game/week against Sydney FC presented a beautiful Wellington day (can't blame the weather); a team that currently sits at the bottom of the table without their marquee players of Alessandro Del Piero and Brett Emmerton; and a Phoenix team looking to consolidate a top four position - this should be a pretty easy one shouldn't it? No. Sydney, under the guidance of new coach Frank Farina, dominated the Phoenix for most of the game and the Phoenix had to resort to overhead long balls and crosses from the wings into the goal box. Passing was largely inaccurate, and they succumbed to a 2-1 loss to a struggling Sydney FC side. Only 7,500 attended this game and, quite frankly, it should have been more considering the weather.
Gareth Morgan has expressed his desire for the Phoenix to play "Total Football," which will then lead to a more attractive, fast-paced brand of football. This is not entirely the case. Total Football refers to the versatility and adaptability of the players on the field, in other words, players can assume the role of a defender, midfielder or attacker if required. This style was used effectively by the Dutch national team and Dutch clubs throughout the 1970s.
Morgan stated that "You're not going to win the A-League by being the best defensive team." I'm sorry, but that is simply not true. Let us look at some recent international competitions in order to prove that defense does indeed win titles.
Italy won the 2006 FIFA World Cup and were the best defensive team, conceding only an own goal and a penalty in seven matches. Spain's defense has gone a step further since then. At Euro 2008 they did not concede a goal in the knockout stages; at the 2010 FIFA World Cup they only conceded 2 goals in their 7 matches; and at Euro 2012 conceded only one goal in six matches. In total, Spain have not conceded a goal in their last 10 knockout matches at World Cups and Euros. You cannot compare these tournaments to the A-League, but it goes to show that defense works at the pinnacle of international football so there is every reason why it can work in this case.
On a side note, the Spaniards (national team and club teams like Barcelona) currently use a style of football known as "tiki-taka," which essentially involves short passing and maintaining ball possession. This is a far cry from the style the Phoenix use, which involves frequent high-balls and crosses into the box from the wings.
This is where my preexisting bias gets the better of me and I cannot resist mentioning it, as one-eyed as it may sound: Italian football. Not the greatest spectacle or advertisement for football, is it? Historically, Italian teams have used "Catenaccio," which places a heavy focus on defensive organization and tactics. These defensive tactics are accompanied with clever counter-attacking. Its popularity has declined over the last decade, especially since the 2006 World Cup, but was very effective throughout many time periods: Inter Milan in the 1960s, AC Milan in the 1990s and early 2000s with the likes of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta, and as already mentioned the Italian national team.
My cultural background has taught me that winning is the most important thing in sport. It is not about how you play the game. Forget an exciting and attacking style of football, unfortunately for the average sports fan sometimes the dull and boring style will give the team the results they need to succeed. I would rather watch the teams I support play a defense-orientated 1-0 win than lose 3-2 in a fast-paced, drama-filled match.
But perhaps Gareth Morgan is looking to attract the average sporting fan and not exactly the passionate Phoenix supporter. In other words, Morgan wants the Phoenix to play a style of football that will boost crowd numbers. It might not win games, but the neutral supporter will be keen to attend and will leave the match more excited, and wanting more, if a match finished 3-2 as opposed to 1-0.
Ricki Herbert's defensive/conservative tactics have worked well. They have done enough to satisfy me as a Phoenix and All Whites fan (for those who don't know, Herbert coaches both teams). The All Whites refusal to expose their goal to Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia at the 2010 World Cup is a testament to how important defense is. However, the campaign produced three draws and no wins. The Phoenix have been coached by Herbert since their inception in 2007 and in five seasons their highest finish on the table was fourth. I, probably like Gareth Morgan, am not satisfied with a mid-table finish anymore.
Perhaps what Gareth Morgan was implying when he said the "best" defense will not win the A-League, was that you need to score goals to win games. In 10 games this season, the Phoenix have scored 13 goals, which is about average over all 10 teams. But remember, average will not win the A-League.
The Phoenix are pretty sound defensively, but what they need are some creative midfielders. An attacking central midfielder who can feed the strikers with crisp passing. This will lead to more opportunities for the strikers. The return of Dani Sanchez from injury for the next game against Adelaide United will help to solve this and Louis Fenton could also play this role. Additionally, a deep-lying playmaker with excellent vision who is not only able to complete short passes but accurately deliver those long overhead passes that the team currently uses. The current trio of Manny Muscat (excellent defensively), Vince Lia, and Alex Smith are doing well, but not enough to transform this team into title contenders.
Herbert has been very loyal over the years to wingers Leo Bertos and Tony Lochead. They have served him well in the past but perhaps some more pace and accuracy with the crossing is needed in this department. Since Brockie will likely miss the Adelaide match due to injury, I would like to see Benjamin Totori be given a start. He has proven to be a live-wire off the bench so far this season and has installed some energy into the team whenever he comes on. Tyler Boyd is only 17 years old and has come off the bench in every game so far as a striker/left-winger. It wouldn't hurt to give him a start and see how he goes, but I'm not sure a tough trip to Adelaide is the right time just yet. Paul Ifill has not been at his best this season, which could be due to his groin injury before the season, but I expect him to find some form very soon.
To finish, here is the team I would like to see start against Adelaide this Sunday. Formation: 4-2-3-1.
Paston (GK);
Bertos, Durante, Sigmund, Lochead;
Muscat, Lia;
Totori, Sancez, Ifill;
Huysegems
If Sanchez is fit, he should start. If he is ruled unfit or starts off the bench, then Fenton or Boyd should be given the nod. Fenton and Boyd might be given more gametime than expected if Sanchez and/or Ifill cannot play the 90 minutes.
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