The Dominion Post

Flashy club owner Terry Serepisos has never been far from the headlines. He brought David Beckham to Wellington in year one, but as season four chugs along he has become bogged down by constant rumours and question marks on his financial sustainability. .... Sam Worthington

OPINION: We live in hope, but chances are the Wellington Phoenix's season is heading for an unsatisfying conclusion.

Yes, they might scrape into the top six on the back of some solid work of late and go into a sudden-death playoff.

But that game will be away from home. And the Wellington Phoenix are a freak show on the road. A train wreck.

What more is there to say about the woefulness that has more or less derailed their season and undermined some sparkling home form?

Perhaps this: the problem has not been one of preparation, tactics or ability.

The root cause has in fact been a lack of professionalism. The Phoenix, who are a handy side � just look at their home record � have often been shoddy and half-hearted away from home.

Somewhere deep in the limbic system of the team's psyche there must lurk a stubborn and wrongheaded belief that being great at Westpac Stadium is sufficient.

That explains why they have earnt just five from a possible 39 points on the road. It is also why, if they do make the top six, they are likely to fall at the first hurdle.

The away game on January 26 against Brisbane Roar underscored the Phoenix's fatal flaw.

Wellington played well that day. They were defensive, as they needed to be against such terrific opposition, and they nearly smuggled a precious point out of Australia.

What struck me most, however, was the fact they actually approached the match professionally, kept their discipline and tried hard.

If only they had applied themselves similarly on the road against lesser opposition they would be vying for a top-four finish.

These may seem harsh comments. If so, the Phoenix have two more away games in the regular season, including tonight's against Adelaide United, to prove them wrong.

The Phoenix go into the match buoyed by last week's 1-0 home win over the Newcastle Jets.

Make no mistake, it was a good result and the three points earned are like gold.

But the game was revealing in that it showed the current Phoenix side at their best and worst.

The best came from the likes of Andrew Durante, who has excelled this season, and Nick Ward, who can play a bit from midfield.

The Phoenix goal, created by Marco Rojas and finished by the much-improved Dylan Macallister, was sublime.

The worst was evident in the amount of ball the Phoenix squandered and the midfield's inability to control the game.

The team's nasty streak was also on display, with yellow cards leading to suspensions for Ben Sigmund and Manny Muscat. The passing from some players � Vince Lia, Tim Brown and Troy Hearfield � was at times amateurish.

Few teenage athletes are worth the price of admission.

They tend to lack polish, consistency and confidence, and usually play supporting roles, often off the bench, while they are given lots of time to develop their skill, strength and mental resilience.

A handful, however, take a more direct and urgent route to star billing.

Rojas appears to be one of them. At 19 and just 1.66m, he is electrifying on at least two counts.

First, he is blessed with lightning speed and can attack defenders off both feet.

One incident early in the second half against Perth on January 23 proved as much.

Rojas once again picked up the ball in space on the left. He knocked it around one side of a defender and raced around the other to continue his run and cross.

It is almost a cliche move � often attempted on the training pitch as a way to show off and poke a bit of fun. And Rojas was good enough to pull it off in the A-League.

Second, it is rare for a special talent to be unearthed in top sport. That is even more of the case in New Zealand football which has its share of honest toilers but few players with X-factor.

To their great credit, the Phoenix are not only playing the youngster. His team-mates are also giving him as much ball as possible and shaping their game around him. What greater vote of confidence could they give him? If the Phoenix are to finish the season with a flourish, Rojas is likely to play the pivotal role.

- The Dominion Post