Could Simon be the spark?

While one player is rarely a "silver bullet" in turning around their team's fortunes, the addition to Phoenix's roster of Simon Elliott could have a massive effect on his new side.

Elliott's modus operandi is fairly simple.  When his team has the ball, he makes himself available to receive it.  Once he has possession himself, he passes to a well-placed team-mate somewhere between five and fifty yards away, almost always finding their feet.  It sounds easy, and Elliott makes it look so, but the fact is not many in the A-League are as adept at doing it as he is.

He always looks comfortable on the ball.  He very rarely gives it away. He galvanises and gives confidence to his team-mates. He is absolutely two-footed - another rarity - making his set-piece delivery a potent feature of his game.  And for a bloke who hasn't played regularly for a year or so, his fitness doesn't seem to have suffered if the World Cup and recent home internationals are any indication.

And let's not forget we're talking about a former Premiership player here.

Phoenix certainly need something - or someone - to kick their season into gear and Elliott could be just the man to provide the spark.  He simply must start against Brisbane on Wednesday night as the defensive fulcrum in midfield.

Phoenix's best moments last year came when they played three in the centre of the park, with Manny Muscat the deepest-lying. While Muscat and Elliott are rather different players, Muscat's redeployment to left-back to cover for Tony Lochhead's injury leaves the perfect vacancy for Elliott. 

Hopefully his presence will shake Tim Brown and Vince Lia from their laborious start to this campaign and spur them to the heights of last season when, with Muscat, they formed a formidable trio.  Muscat shielded the back four, Brown bombed forward and scored a hatful of goals and Lia buzzed around, breaking up anything in the middle third that even slightly resembled a potential attacking move from the opposition.

It hasn't been the same so far this season. For whatever reason, Phoenix have struggled.

Let's see what Simon says about that.