PHOENIX fans are buzzing about a bloke named Fred. Since news of his guest stint broke on Friday afternoon, the Yellow Fever message boards have been red-hot with talk of the Brazilian’s imminent arrival in Wellington.

I guess there’s always the danger of expecting miracles from one guy. Some Phoenix fans seem to think all we need to do is play Fred for the next six matches and eighteen points will magically appear alongside the team’s name of the A-League table.

Having said that, this is the most exciting signing in the club’s short history and will certainly breathe life back into what was threatening to become a mediocre season (the latest result against Sydney FC notwithstanding).

If nothing else, Fred will add some glitz to our side and if he’s even half as good as he was at Melbourne, he’ll have an extremely positive impact. The creation (and therefore completion) of chances is the one missing factor in Phoenix’s game this season; happily, that just happens to be Fred’s bread and butter.

It would be fair to say Phoenix’s track record with Brazilians is OK at best. Felipe was an enigma – when he was on form, he was among the most dangerous players in the competition and delighted us with his wide array of tricks and skills. On other occasions he drifted out of games and found it difficult to last ninety minutes. That aside, his wonder goal against Sydney FC in the club’s first ever A-League win will long be remembered by Phoenix fans.

Cleberson looked set to become a crowd favourite after an inspired second half performance in the club’s very first match against Melbourne. However, the warning bells soon sounded when his lack of pace and communication skills were quickly exposed. My enduring memory is a puffing Cleberson trailing in Joel Griffiths’ wake as the Jets striker cut him to shreds time and again.

Meantime, if enthusiasm counted for anything, George would have made the team every week. As it was, his energy and exuberance weren’t enough to mask the fact that he simply wasn’t a very good footballer. It was no surprise to see him and Clebo exit midway through last season.

That leaves Daniel as the sole remaining Brazilian at the club. At his best, he was – and still could be – one of the stars of the A-League. His dazzling dribbling ability, close control and pinpoint crosses quickly made him a crowd favourite, as did his obvious passion for Wellington and the Phoenix fans.

Daniel’s omission from the line-up recently is mystifying. After starting four of the first five games, he’s featured just three times off the bench for a combined total of 52 minutes in the last six matches. He’s not injured, so maybe Ricki has made him the scapegoat for the side’s poor performances in the first month of the season. I’d love to see him back in the side, combining with Fred and Leo Bertos to terrorise opposition defences.

Fred will obviously come straight into the starting line-up for Sunday’s match with Newcastle in Wellington, probably at the expense of Troy Hearfield. As mentioned above, I’d also like to see Daniel back in place of Michael Ferrante, putting the emphasis firmly on attack. Bertos-Fred-Daniel-Smeltz – surely there’s got to be goals there, especially against the second-worst defensive side in the league. Nothing would get the home fans roaring more than all-out attack on Ante Covic.

Phoenix need goals. Right Said Fred – let’s see what we can do about that.