Phoenix looking to take Newcastle by surprise

If any team should know how to beat the Newcastle Jets, it is the Wellington Phoenix.

A decent chunk of the squad which played under now-Jets coach Ernie Merrick during the tailend of this three-and-a-half seasons at the club remain in Phoenix colours, so they know intimately the gameplan Merrick has implemented for Newcastle, who sit second on the A-League ladder.

Of course, that didn’t help them earlier in the season when they lost 3-0 in Newcastle, but that was when the Phoenix were still trying to play out from the back, which ended in disaster as Goran Paracki gifted the opening goal to Roy O’Donovan with a terrible backpass.

Since then, they’ve adopted a more pragmatic approach suited to the players they have and skipper Andrew Durante was of the belief they would have a gameplan better suited to beating their hosts tonight in Newcastle.

‘‘We know their style really well, it’s a really attacking mindset. I think we played into their hands the last time we played them, playing too short around our own box and gifted them a couple of goals.

‘‘We’ll learn from that and will play a different style that I believe and the coach believes will be the best way to beat them.’’

Paracki is suspended for the match after picking up his fifth yellow card in the 1-1 draw against the Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend. Centre back Dylan Fox is also out with a hamstring injury.

Paracki’s replacement in the starting lineup should be Matjia

Ljujic, with coach Darije Kalezic both he and Nathan Burns should be fit enough to start.

That would likely see either Matthew Ridenton or Michael McGlinchey shift into the holding midfield role, which the latter has performed well in for the All Whites.

Kalezic saw that battle in the

centre of the park as crucial for how the game would play out.

‘‘From my point of view it’s important the player in that position can connect the defence and midfield and distribute the ball forward, but I think what is also very, very important in the game against Newcastle is to stop the way Newcastle play, and that’s pretty direct.

‘‘In that area they have a strategy to win a lot of second balls and from that they play in behind our last line. They have a very good player there, [Dimitri] Petratos, who always wants the ball. If he gets the ball and is able to play forward then dangerous situations come from that. It’s a really responsible position for Saturday.’’

Kalezic said Ljujic could play there, but felt he would be better utilised further forward.

‘‘Matija Ljujic can play there for sure, but I see him more as a player who connects the midfield and attackers and I think is the one player who can deliver assists for our front players.’’

The Phoenix have taken four points from their last two games, conceding just one goal in each, after having conceded more than two goals per game before that.