The Wellington Phoenix are determined to persist with an attacking style of play despite tumbling to the bottom of the A-League ladder on the back of three straight losses.
Phoenix captain Andrew Durante says the club won't be hitting the panic button on their season following Sunday's 2-nil loss to Western Sydney in Wellington and a new offensive structure deserves more time.
Durante says maybe the change in formation is taking time, people aren't maybe sure of what they've got to do.
He says before this whole formation thing and new style of football, they were travelling OK.... this bombshell's maybe rattled a few people.
However Durante says for the future of the football club, this is the way it's got to be.
Even though the Phoenix have won just four of their 16 matches this season, they sit only four points from fifth-placed Newcastle.
Durante believes the strategic changes that coach Ricki Herbert has implemented during the campaign have been positive but Wellington haven't been able to maintain their intensity throughout matches.
Adding to the Phoenix's immediate woes is the absence of injured playmaker Paul Ifill and defender Manny Muscat, who has missed the last two games through suspension and has one more game to sit out.
Ifill, who had ankle surgery last month, gets the chance to stretch his legs tomorrow for the Phoenix's reserve side against Manawatu in Palmerston North, but isn't expected to be back in the A-League for another couple of weeks.
