‘Early goal is crucial but United’s experience should tell…’ A-League title-winning coach Ernie Merrick’s guide to how the teams will play
The first thing that Western United must do is get rid of the feeling that having been in the top two positions for more than half the season, finishing third and being in an elimination final is somehow a letdown.
If Wellington score first it could be very, very difficult for Western not to feel like things are conspiring against them. In fact I believe the opening goal will be vital whoever scores it, because Wellington are a young, inexperienced side that is more than fraying at the edges with injuries and the effects of their disrupted season.
Western’s game plan will be built on a strong back four and the ability to spring forward with a quick counterattack, just as it has all season. Their defence is so experienced with Jamie Young, Leo Lacroix, Nikolai Topor-Stanley and even Josh Risdon bringing so much knowledge of game management and how to play the opponent, not the occasion.
John Aloisi’s side has the guile to move the ball quickly forward to a frontline with pace. Players in midfield like Neil Kilkenny and Rene Khrin aren’t physically quick but their brains are a step ahead; it’s just a shame that Alessandro Diamanti has been restricted to 10 games this season, because his distribution remains something to behold.
United won’t look to dominate possession, they are more concerned with using it efficiently when they do get the ball. And their goalscoring threat is spread throughout the team – Aleksandar Prijovic, Connor Pain, Lachie Wales, Steven Lustica and Dylan Wenzel-Halls can all hurt Phoenix. The pace of Pain and Wales will stretch Wellington’s defence, pressuring them to drop off and leave more space for the midfield to work in.
WESTERN UNITED STRENGTHS
- strong backline
- number of experienced players
- range of goalscorers and speed up front
- home advantage
I fear for Wellington if they go behind, much though I admire the work of Ufuk Talay. All players are tired by this stage of the season but his have borne a particular weight.
It’s interesting that Talay has tried switching to three at the back very late in the season, presumably to steady the ship after some difficult losses. His usual 4-2-2-2 structure is so well defined, and so well understood by his players, that a switch is quite a radical move at this stage of the season.
In both set-ups, the fullbacks/wingbacks are important to Talay’s way of playing, but his biggest issue is the lack of a consistent goalscorer. You need a range of threats in the finals, and Phoenix’s top scorers are Gael Sandoval, Josh Sautirio and Ben Waine, all with six each; none is the sort to make you assume they will take a chance in a game like this.
Instead they will rely on industry in harassing United, and look to Reno Piscopo to create something extraordinary, as he did in the win over Western Sydney that sealed their place in the finals. You can also look to their 4-1 win over United little more than a month ago for the strategy they will employ here; sitting deep, trying to lure Aloisi’s side forward and hitting them in transition.
If they can do that, and go a goal up, I fancy Wellington to spring a surprise. But the longer the game is in the balance, the more I see United’s experience proving pivotal.
WELLINGTON STRENGTHS
- Young, fit hard working team
- Difficult to break down
- Resilient team from what they’ve gone through
- Nothing to lose
