Jeremy Brockie had a mixed game on Saturday - he struggled early from wide on the right taking several poor options and drifted in and out of the game after moving into the centre following Steyn Huysegems' substitution when Merrick added to the midfield. But he got the goal applying a tremendous finish after a piece of Ifill trickery to earn the Phoenix a deserved point in Sydney.
Brockie has always been most effective in a central role; he was inconsistent at Newcastle while used as a winger and he's never scored for the All Whites in 35 appearances where he's plugged gaps out wide, in midfield and even at wing-back.
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| Gooooooooooalazo |
Brockie is often criticised for a lack of work rate but that doesn't tell the whole story - when the Phoenix have possession in midfield his movement tends to be away from the ball, either to make a run off the shoulder of the last defender for the ball released quickly or looking for space away from the play to be in position to finish off an attacking movement. He rarely does the dirty work running the channels or holding the ball up in the way that Chris Greenacre specialised. In that respect he can appear "supply dependent", a player who needs others to bring him into the game in order to be effective.
What he does bring however is the ability to lose his man and create space - in the first half he ghosted on to a lovely pass from Jason Hicks which lead to a shot off target and his run in between the central defenders for the goal demonstrated his ability to find space in the penalty box in a way few A-League strikers can.
It's clear he needs to start centrally to be most effective. If he can add more variety to his movement and become a more rounded striker there is no doubt though that when matched with his natural goal scoring instinct he could develop into one of the best players in the league.
Bertos may have a Phoenix future - but not as an attacker
When Ernie Merrick announced that Leo Bertos wouldn't be used at right back because he was wanted as an attacking player and then barely used him in pre-season, this looked like the beginning of the end for Bertos' Phoenix career. But perhaps there's still more to come from Bertos - as a defender.
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| Leo Bertos |
Bertos had a solid if unspectacular game at right back after backing up from the All Whites match against Trinidad and Tobago where he played as a wing-back. He dealt well with Mark Bridge and generally acquitted himself well as part of a back four that kept Wanderers quiet in the second half. There are times when he seems to be moving in the opposite direction to the rest of the back four but generally he seemed to position himself well.
Although he didn't contribute a great deal in an attacking sense he provided support in the final third and won several corners pushing forward. At the same time he showed why as an attacking player he's unlikely to see much time this year. Compared to Ifill, who makes up for a lack of pace with skill and movement, he looked unlikely to beat his man one-on-one. Bertos always relied on skipping past defenders on the outside to deliver crosses, and without pace he does look a little one dimensional.
If he retains his place in defence for the match in Napier and performs well it could mean Louis Fenton struggles to break into the side after injury.
When is a scapegoat not a scapegoat - when he's Vince Lia
After two rounds of the A-League, one player has been the focus for most criticism from Phoenix fans - Vince Lia. It doesn't help that Lia was expected to be replaced in the off season (and the long running search for a defensive midfielder indicates that Merrick did intend to line up without him in 2013). Two matches where he has been inconsistent in possession has seen a rising tide of invective directed towards Lia online and in a backlash against the backlash it seems Lia is now being defended as merely the latest Yellow Fever "designated scapegoat" after an improved showing in 70 minutes on Sunday after a frankly shocking first 20.
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| Sunday's mixed bag |
But just because Lia has become the designated scape-goat (and it does seem he has) does not mean he's not deserving of criticism.
The frustration with Lia is that he's clearly capable of doing some of the things an A-League midfielder should be able to do, some of the time. The problem is that his mistakes tend to lead to chances and goals. Lia can pass the ball but at times he gives it away with a casualness which suggests he doesn't understand that under Merrick, his position is possibly the most important on the pitch. The problem for Lia is that when faced with a high press like that from Wanderers on Sunday he will inevitably turn over the ball inside his own half two or three times a game. That led to several chances, including a late shot from Brendan Santalab that rattled the post with 10 minutes to go and would have seen the Phoenix almost certainly lose a hard fought point. For all his defensive quality, and he hassled and harried without fouling on Sunday which was admirable, he still lacks the calmness when playing under pressure that this team needs to thrive.
All this might be acceptable if Lia's all round game meant he was creating chances at the other end or was a creative outlet. But when his role is so simple, and his passing fairly mechanical, he can't continue making such basic errors and retain his place in the team.
Getting points in Australia - a simple formula
The Phoenix completed more passes than Wanderers attempted on Sunday which must have been a first in an away match for the club. Unlike under Herbert when possession seemed an after thought to desperate defence, with a fair share of the ball Phoenix were able to withstand pressure by controlling the tempo of the match. While the attack at times lacked precision this was to be expected when Merrick was forced into an early tactical switch, and has been unable to field his first choice starting lineup in pre-season. This was a mature display that bodes well for the rest of the season and suggest future away matches might not be the grim proposition of previous seasons.
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