Eleven weeks into the Hyundai A-League season midfielder Tim Brown gives his Wellington Phoenix team a pass mark, but warns he and his team-mates can’t afford to take their foot off the pedal.
Eleven weeks into the Hyundai A-League season midfielder Tim Brown gives his Wellington Phoenix team a pass mark, but warns he and his team-mates can-t afford to take their foot off the pedal.
The Phoenix go into the game against Melbourne Victory tomorrow at AAMI Park with back-to-back wins to their credit and in equal third placing but Brown says there will be no complacency.
“There is a long way to go; we are not even halfway yet,” Brown, who has netted 20 times for the Phoenix from midfield, said.
“But having said that we can take a lot of positives out of what we have done so far.
“Despite having a light squad, along with several injuries in the early weeks, we have been quite consistent.
“Results haven-t always gone our way when we have played well, but then there have been times when we-ve had to battle and have found that extra 10 per cent to get something from a game.
“We are finding the way to win games when we haven-t played that well. Perth at home was a good example of that.
“There has been a really good feel within the squad all year and our greatest asset is the tightness of the group, and the way we fight for each other.
“Though it has been tough we can get better and I-m looking forward to Sunday-s game.”
Coach Ricki Herbert has already put the fine win over Brisbane Roar on Wednesday out of his mind and is concentrating on getting another big performance from his players.
“Three games in eight days is a tough ask, especially when we-ve played in Wellington, Dunedin and now Melbourne,” Herbert said.
“I-ve had to be careful with how we-ve managed the players this week but they are in a good frame of mind and we are just looking at the next game and nothing else.”
Herbert will not name his team till tomorrow morning, giving the team-s talisman, Paul Ifill, every chance to shrug off his groin strain.
While things do not look too promising on that front, striker Mirjan Pavlovic, who missed the Brisbane game through suspension, has joined the team in Melbourne.
Spanish midfielder Dani Sanchez, who missed the Dunedin game, is also under an injury cloud and a decision on whether he plays will be made in the morning.
