Playoffs on the line for out-of-form Phoenix

Phoenix player Oskar Zawada celebrates a goal.
Photo: Photosport

Coach Ufuk Talay is placing faith in his principles as he endeavours to arrest a form slump and guide the Wellington Phoenix to a third A-League finals appearance in four seasons.

The Phoenix visit bottom-of-the-table Macarthur FC on Saturday night, knowing a draw will secure Wellington a place in the top six playoffs.

But points have been hard to come by for the Nix in recent weeks, with one draw and four defeats from their past five matches – their worst run since the first five matches of Talay’s inaugural season.

“We strongly believe in our processes and that’s what got us through that first year when we lost those games,” he said.

“It’s about sticking to the processes and what we believe in and how we should play the game.

“If we start to be afraid that we’ve lost a few games in a row and we move away from our beliefs it really makes life a lot more difficult.”

Talay has made it clear they’re “not going there to play for a draw”.

“I always want to finish on a high. The great thing is that it’s still in our own hands to make the top six.

“We’ll go with a positive mindset. We’ll go to try to win the game and we’ll adjust accordingly as the game goes.

“I know they will not be happy with where they’re sitting at the moment Macarthur. I’m sure they don’t want to finish bottom of the table and end the season that way.

“I’m expecting them to come out and try to play and try to win the game as well so it’s very important we go out with the mindset of trying to win the game.”

The Phoenix were held scoreless for the first time this season last Friday night, but most of the concern has been at the other end of the pitch, where the team has conceded 17 goals during their five game winless run.

Despite the form slump, Ufuk Talay is convinced the Nix are a top six side this season, and he hasn’t considered the possibility Saturday’s game could be his last match in charge.

“I haven’t looked at it as our last week.

“I know that the group is good enough to get themselves into the top six and then we’ll have a game after that and hopefully a home game and an away game in the finals series.

“I don’t look at it being my last game. I know the group is good enough to get us to where we need to get to.

“For me this is a nice rehearsal leading into finals football. It’s an important game that we need to get a result from, and finals football is the same once we get to that.”

Attacking midfielder Ben Old remains the only Wellington player unavailable to play Macarthur.

– RNZ