End is nigh for a season to forget
Phoenix in need of miracles – Rufer
The Wellington Phoenix don’t have a lot to play for tonight, when they host Melbourne City, but will be comforted by the fact that come the end of 90 minutes, their dreadful 2017-18 A-League campaign will be done and dusted.
No matter what happens at QBE Stadium in Auckland, they will finish with the fewest wins in their 11-season history, whether joint or outright. They will finish with the most losses, whether joint or outright. They will finish having conceded more goals per game than ever before, whether joint or outright. They will have earned fewer points per game than ever before.
Only the failings of the Central Coast Mariners across the Tasman might allow them some solace – a Phoenix win and a Mariners loss later tonight will mean the Wellington club finishes ninth, avoiding the wooden spoon. They can also avoid having scored fewer goals per game than ever before, if they net just once. The crowds are dwindling, the goals have dried up, the FFA is delivering ultimatums and the Wellington Phoenix are in line to get their second wooden spoon in six years.
Former Bundesliga and Uefa Cup winner Wynton Rufer said it seems like the A-League club hasn’t made good decisions in the recent past.
League placings over the past six years provide sorry reading with the club finishing bottom once, second to bottom twice, seventh and the one bright spot being the 2014-15 campaign’s fourth-place finish.
The lack of investment seems to be a problem, as well as a lack of experienced leadership.
‘‘Some of the things happening in recent seasons haven’t seemed right. It looked as though Ernie Merrick didn’t think the club were really trying to make things happen, so he left.
‘‘The next appointment seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Darije Kalezic didn’t even choose his assistant. You wouldn’t appoint an assistant [Rado Vidosic] without telling the coach, but they did.’’
Whatever the outcome of the next couple of seasons Rufer thinks the Phoenix have been good for New Zealand football, particularly during the years Terry Serepisos was in charge of the club.
‘‘It was functioning better when Terry was there, you need owners who are interested. From what I hear, it’s all done on the smell of an oily rag.
‘‘You can understand the FFA’s position because the Phoenix haven’t really been delivering. It isn’t going to be an easy fix, they need a few miracles.’’