Four days out from Wellington Phoenix’s A-League season opener and coach Ernie Merrick is not a happy man.
Barring a few minor niggles, his squad is injury-free and raring to kick-start their season with a home match against Newcastle Jets at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium on Sunday.
But Merrick was left fuming on Wednesday at the restrictions placed on his team for their first run at the stadium in months.
“It’s the first time we’re back at the stadium, and we were only given exactly 30 minutes to be in the ground,” Merrick said.
“Our first game of the league season, preparing for Newcastle in what will be hopefully a big year for us, and we get 30 minutes on Westpac.
“We’re the major tenant of this venue, it just amazes me.”
Merrick said it was frustrating to be offered limited familiarisation sessions ahead of the 27-week A-League season, where wins at home are key to making the end-of-season play-offs.
The Phoenix are looking to build on last year’s effort where they led the league for a couple of weeks mid-season, but faltered to qualify fourth and were knocked out by Melbourne City in the first elimination final.
Merrick wasn’t impressed with Wednesday’s training session, saying the standard of play his squad managed in their brief time on the pitch left something to be desired.
“This is our home venue, and we’re not used to playing on it. There we were today, it was a very poor standard game and I think we just weren’t used to the wind, the conditions and the atmosphere in this stadium.”
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