Wellington captain Andrew Durante described Wednesday night’s surrender to Brisbane Roar as ‘very un-Phoenix like’ following their disappointing 4-1 loss at Westpac Stadium.
The home side were on the back foot from the fourth minute when former Wellington man Kosta Barbarouses found the back of the net.
Tim Brown’s 37th minute equaliser was as good as it got for the Phoenix, with Thomas Broich giving his side a 2-1 lead at the break before Massimo Murdocca and Mitchell Nichols completed the rout late in the second half.
“We prided ourselves on our defence last year and we’re shipping goals way too easy this year,” lamented central defender Durante.
“I don’t know why. We got ourselves back in the game and they had a shot deflection go in (Broich’s goal) and it turns the game in their favour.”
“To concede a soft third and fourth is just very un-Phoenix like to surrender like that. We are going to lose games but to lose it like that is not what the club is about.”
“We sort of threw the towel in at the end. It’s very disappointing.”
The Phoenix, who remain seventh but four points adrift of sixth-placed Melbourne Heart, have a tough trip to Perth to negotiate now and Durante admitted every player was in the firing line.
“I think everyone needs to step up, myself included. I don’t think anyone is safe in this squad. Unless you’re winning games your position is always up for grabs. The whole starting XI is on alert now,” he said.
Coach Ricki Herbert refused to be drawn on where his axe might fall.
“It’s always good to make decisions on a cool head. I’ll probably reflect on that a little bit tonight,” he said.
“We will, as we always do, look very openly and positively around what we need to do and what we think we need to do.”
“Right across the board it’s a chance for people to reflect where they are. We can make the changes. That’s the option that we have from a coaching point of view. The ones with the desire and hunger, which we went back to last year and which worked well for us, will come through, whoever they may be.”
It certainly was not the happy homecoming midfielder Simon Elliott was expecting.
The New Zealand international signed a short-term deal with his home town club on Monday as injury cover for Oscar Roberto Cornejo.
“It’ll be dreadfully disappointing for him tonight to have played in a team that’s lost after 24 games,” said Herbert.
“It’s a short stint at the club for him but hopefully with his experience he can help us get the season going again.”
