Nix crowds hit all-time low
OPINION: The Wellington Phoenix’s long-term aspirations are starting to take a severe hit because of their on-field performances this season.
After all the drama last season of getting a new licence from Football Federation Australia to play in the Hyundai A-league, this campaign was meant to be the start of a new era of success.
The squad was heralded as their strongest ever, but after the 5-1 loss to Melbourne City on Saturday night at Westpac Stadium the hype has been shown to be misplaced.
Good teams don’t lose 11 games out of 20. Good teams don’t lose half their home games. Good teams don’t lose 5-1 at home.
The fact the hammering came in front of their fans hurts the club even more. Their average home attendance this season of 6310 is their worst ever in their 10th season in the competition and is only heading in one direction: Down.
Considering one of the key metrics of their conditional licence - which runs for an initial four years - is to boost attendances, taking a backwards step should be setting off alarm bells at Phoenix HQ.
Attendances are almost exclusively linked to on-field results and performances. This year’s dip in both crowds and results will have a flow on effect to next season and it could take some time before they can start getting the fans back through the gates again.
The immediate challenge facing co-coaches Des Buckingham and Chris Greenacre is how to turn things around.
They are five points off the top six with seven games to go and Greenacre said the players better be prepared to put in the hard yards over the next week as they prepare for an away match against the Brisbane Roar.
‘‘There are no excuses, we have to go there and get a result and those boys in there better be prepared for that.
‘‘This game is not easy and people best turn up to work the next time we’re in and be prepared to work.’’
As for the City loss, there is a thought that it might have gone differently if Kosta Barbarouses had of scored from the penalty spot in the 15th minute.
He hit the crossbar then Roly Bonevacia missed a one-on-one chance and bit of bad luck saw the Phoenix down 2-0 at halftime. There were other contentious moments where City players Manny Muscat and Osama Malik could have been sent off for an elbow and a late, rash challenge respectively.
Still, good teams can overcome those sorts of things that. Just the week before, City came back from the same halftime scoreline against the Roar to draw 2-2 and did it without nine frontline players through suspension and injury.
‘‘The penalty was a big chance for us and I think throughout the team heads just dropped and as soon as that happened it just started to implode around us...just a real low point, a real low point,’’ Greenacre said after the game.
That says it all.