A draw and two defeats has left Phoenix bottom of the table and skipper Durante has not sought to shy away from reality.

Interviewed just moments after last weekend's defeat in Adelaide, he described Wellington's display as 'garbage' and this week has seen plenty of soul-searching at Westpac Stadium.

Durante told the Dominion Post: "We can't really point the finger at anyone apart from ourselves, too many of us having bad games.

"I think at training, the intensity has been lacking a little bit and it shows in our performances. We've got to pick up our intensity and get stuck into the sessions."

While Shane Smeltz will always provide goals for the side, Durante says any successful side starts at the back.

"At Newcastle last season, we had the best defence, and at the end of the day defence wins the league and conceding silly goals like we have been is not a good start," he said.