2102/13 was a horror year for the club which threatened to de-rail the steady rebuilding under Welnix. For both supporters and players alike a general malaise took hold mid-season and Herbert's inevitable departure, and the wooden spoon, book-ended a demoralising season conclusion where the tedium of an interminable off-season couldn't come quickly enough.
"Sir Ricki's" culpability continues to be debated - he remarkably still retains the loyalty of a rump of supporters - but there is no doubt that he departed leaving a demoralised squad peppered with players for whom continuing a career in professional football must be the most pleasant of surprises. That's not to say that Merrick's job is an impossible one, but it does temper expectations for a season where the Phoenix are rebuilding a squad almost from scratch.
Ernie Merrick's appointment as manager was warmly received in New Zealand and that positivity has been enhanced by his upbeat media persona and bullishness in respect of the local talent available to him, both inside and outside the squad.
Concerns raised by an Australian media in his ability to coach in a league he last won in 2009, in thrall to a new generation of Australian coaches, seem unfounded. Improvement in the overall level of the A-League has been significantly overstated; although there is no doubt that at the top end the influence of Ange Postecoglu at Brisbane and now Victory and Tony Popovic at Western Sydney has raised standards, the lower reaches of the table still contain some genuinely awful football sides (few worse than last year's Phoenix side).
Nevertheless, the squad assembled by Merrick to date seems to lack both the experience, but more importantly the quality, to aim much higher than 5th or 6th spot. He's taken a significant risk relying on his ability to get more out of the existing squad considering the bulk of players recruited will be in their début season of professional football. Consistency not talent is the question mark over a group of young players who have all turned in impressive displays at different times during pre-season. Each will need to be carefully managed.
Under Herbert, Tyler Boyd and Louis Fenton were introduced early, shouldered more pressure than was ideal and at times seemed to be selected for reasons beyond their on-field performances - both have huge futures and should benefit from Merrick's history in youth coaching.
Focussing on young players may be the only way that a club unwilling to spend beyond the salary cap can hope to compete in the medium term and Chris Wood, Marco Rojas, Kosta Barbarouses and Cameron Howieson show that the raw material is there within New Zealand. The club is in the early stages of managing players beginning their careers and whether the current coaching structures allow that talent to develop effectively remains to be seen.
A defence that conceded 49 goals must be improved but while both fullbacks and the goal keeper will be new faces, if anything the defence looks weaker than last year so long as Manny Muscat continues in midfield. Both Sigmund and Andrew Durante escaped criticism in 2012 despite regular lapses of concentration but will be under pressure to justify overly generous contract extensions that see both players tied to the club until 2014/2015.
Sigmund especially, reported to have struggled for motivation under Herbert, needs to channel his undoubtedly impressive physical approach into more disciplined displays. There will be an acceptance that the fullbacks, Fenton and Caira, will make mistakes defensively but both must mitigate that by contributing in the attacking third.
Midfield continues to be a problem. Vince Lia was an acceptable midfield starter for a new club in 2008, he just held his own in a team that by-passed midfield but does not have the technique for a team which aims to play on the ground quickly through midfield. His contract extension in 2012 was inexplicable.
Manny Muscat has limitations with the ball but his defensive tenacity can be extremely effective when partnered by a more creative option - a deep lying playmaker was assumed to be arriving in the off season and it remains to be seen whether the late acquisition of the Spaniard Albert Riera from Auckland City will fulfil that role.
A slightly strange signing, Riera is unlikely to push for a starting spot immediately coming from the amateur game, while as an import he prevents recruitment of a further starting midfielder which it was assumed the club was still searching for. Alex Rufer is the wild card - although only 17 his pre-season performances suggest he may get some time off the bench this year.
History show that if you score more goals than you concede, you will make the top 6. Undoubtedly Merrick has focussed the bulk of his available budget on attacking players - Kenny Cunningham will be needed to stretch the play and create space for the major off-season recruit, Carlos Hernandez, to operate in. Concerns about fitness seem unjustified - even his his pomp with Victory Hernandez never relied on pace and his long range shooting and set piece ability should improve the sides' potency from outside the box - while also introducing far more variety into the Phoenix attack.
Ultimately however, it's the old warhorse Paul Ifill who will be relied upon for the game breaking pass, cross and goals. The one player in Wellington consistently worth paying money to see, Ifill's form fluctuated last season while he more than almost any other seemed unable to motivate himself towards the end of the Herbert reign. Guaranteed goals if he stays fit, much will depend on the number of matches he's able to play.
But even in the strongest area of the pitch questions still remain unanswered. Jeremy Brockie, last year's golden boot, doesn't fit naturally into Merrick's 4-3-3 - neither entirely comfortable with his back to goal or operating from wide areas, and won't be guaranteed to start. Leo Bertos, another strangely handed a contract extension soon before Merrick's arrival, seems destined to spend time as a highly paid substitute after limited time and impact in pre-season. And Huysegems was prolific early on against weak opposition but has been well handled but more experienced defences - as well as New Zealand A and the "amateurs" of Auckland City.
This season feels like only the start of something very new in Wellington and with the squad assembled few, if any will be predicting much more than a top half finish at best. Merrick has focussed on solving problems in the side with his ability as a coach, aiming for improvement from the current squad rather than making wholesale changes through recruitment. But seeing a squad filled with young players, many of whom are Kiwis, feels like the beginning of a new era for the Wellington Phoenix.
Prediction: Head - 8th; Heart 5th
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