Once a staunch critic, Danny Hay now believes the Wellington Phoenix have the wherewithal to win the A-League.
Back in November, the former All Whites captain said the team's game plan was stale and Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert looked "tactically lost".
But with the Phoenix second in the league and on a four-game winning streak, going into tomorrow's clash with the Brisbane Roar at Westpac Stadium, Hay has happily changed his tune.
"They've turned it around and the style of football, as much as anything, has improved dramatically," he said yesterday.
Enough for them to be crowned champions in 10 weeks' time?
"I think they can. Jeepers, what's stopping them?" asked Hay. "You look at every other team in the league now and, far out, there's nothing to be scared of.
"Even considering the Central Coast and Brisbane, for me, there's no other team that you would look at and say `they're better than the Phoenix' at this point in time."
There's a good reason for that, in Hay's view.
"Where they're head and shoulders above any team in the league is their team spirit and their willingness to work extremely hard for each other. It stands out like nothing else."
As do the performances of the Phoenix's back four.
"As much as they haven't got all the credit for the run of late, your Manny Muscats, your Ben Sigmunds and Andrew Durantes have been the players that have been the rock and provided the foundation that's given the midfielders the confidence and the licence to be a bit more attack-minded, which is showing in the results," Hay said.
His old All Whites team-mate Harry Ngata never thought he'd find himself saying "they've got what it takes to really challenge for that top-two spot" about the Phoenix this season.
"Probably not and I think everyone, hand on heart, would've said the same," Ngata said.
"Particularly after the first six or seven weeks, when they lost three in a row and then went win-loss, win-loss and couldn't really put together any momentum.
"They had injuries, suspensions and the whole [Terry] Serepisos ownership lingering through the off season, so they didn't have the best preparation.
"Ricki Herbert lost three or four of his backroom staff; they lost the CEO [Nathan Greenham], so they've certainly done it tough. But, on the field, they've rolled their sleeves up and done a good job.
"They're not making many mistakes, that's the key, and they look confident and they're winning and that's a good habit."
And it's the winning that's been enough to even convince an old purist like Kevin Fallon that the Phoenix aren't all bad.
"Of all the teams in the league, they're the most unattractive to watch," the former All Whites coach said.
"I paid to watch them [play Adelaide United] at Eden Park, took my daughter and wife along as well and it was a lovely day. But I enjoyed the Mexican wave more than the football.
"I like watching Manchester United. I like watching Barcelona, obviously, that's got to be everybody's party piece.
"I'm not a long ball man. I've always liked to play, but I'd rather win than play attractive football and lose.
"The Phoenix do try to knock it a little bit as well, so maybe they have got the balance right.
"I tell you what, they've got it right with the winning and I wouldn't care about style as long as you're winning and I mean that."
