Phoenix cautious with new signing

THE closest the Wellington Phoenix’s new Ghanaian import Jeffrey Sarpong got to the Newtown Park turf was a treatment room as he missed training yesterday.

Everyone associated with, or interested in, the Phoenix has high hopes for the A-League club’s new signing. But while the fit members of the squad were put through their paces by coach Ernie Merrick yesterday, Sarpong was stuck indoors on an exercise bike.

The Phoenix fly to Sydney today for a weeklong trip that includes matches against the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC.

Sarpong, Alex Rodriguez and Ben Sigmund will be in the touring party but aren’t expected to see much time on the pitch. Rodriguez and Sigmund are taking time to shrug off niggling injuries, while Sarpong isn’t fit enough to take the park.

‘‘Jeffrey’s progress has been poor and the worst thing I can do is throw him in too early and he tears something and we don’t have him for the season-proper,’’ Merrick said.

Sarpong had ticked things over, physically, between the end of his club season in The Netherlands, back in May, and signing with the Phoenix in August. It’s not that he arrived in Wellington in bad shape ‘‘it’s just that the rest of the boys are so sharp and fit,’’ Merrick said.

‘‘Jeffrey hasn’t put on any weight, he’s still quick, but we want to control his training. If you throw him into a game, you don’t control that.’’

Beyond the playing and training in Sydney, the Phoenix will be involved in some promotional activity. A year ago it all left Merrick and captain Andrew Durante a bit cold.

‘‘At the A-League launch, the interesting thing is that the Wellington Phoenix are well liked by everyone but nobody really cares about us,’’ Merrick said last October.

‘‘It’s almost like ‘they’re a nice bunch of blokes, not a bad team . . .’. They don’t hate us, they don’t think we’re a fantastic team, it’s just apathy. Andrew Durante and I said: ‘We’ve got to change this perception and the only way we can do it is on the field and it’s time we made a statement.’’’

Having finished fourth last season Merrick is relaxed about the Phoenix’s reception this time.

‘‘You only gain respect through being a team that competes in the finals,’’ he said.

Which is very much the plan when their campaign begins on October 11.

coach Ernie Merrick