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Important update on 1476AMThe Greenacre Effect: How Phoenix have turned their season around
Sport Nation •  April 7th, 2026 11:22 am
Wellington Phoenix | Photo: Photosport
How the tides have turned for the Wellington Phoenix.
The new coach bounce has been undeniable for the men from the capital. Since Chris Greenacre took over as interim head coach from the ousted Giancarlo Italiano in late February, the Phoenix have tasted defeat just once in their past five fixtures.
They're currently amid a three-game win streak, having earned a rare victory in Melbourne in dramatic fashion on Sunday to keep their A-League Finals hopes well and truly alive, sitting a solitary point adrift of sixth.
When asked what the secret sauce has been in the team's turnaround, Greeneacre told Sport Nation Mornings it's been all about getting back to the basics and empowering his players.
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"I've just tried to simplify things across the board on how we want to play," Greenacre explained.
"It's really difficult to embed how you want to play immediately, so it's drip feeding things each week and trying to simplify in all areas - from our defensive play into our attacking play.Â
"You've got to also trust your players to make good decisions. They've got a lot of experience. They can fix things on the pitch that's maybe not quite what you've practised, and it's important that you show that you trust them and can rely on them and they can do the same with me.Â
"It's just been to make things as simple as possible and it seems to be working, so we'll continue to do that."
Listen to the full interview below:
