"I like changing history, it's a lot of fun," he said.
With two losses from its last 12 games, and an upset 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory last week, Phoenix sits fourth on the ladder, three points behind competition leader Perth Glory.
"The more we can change history to benefit us the better. But we're not going to look anywhere other than making the finals, and the bonus of being in the top four," Merrick said.
A win over third-placed Adelaide United, also on 33 points, at the Hutt Recreation Ground on Saturday will lift it - momentarily - to the top of the table.
But with eight games still in hand, Merrick's focus is firmly fixed on performance.
Even after his team recorded its first-ever win over the Victory in Melbourne, Merrick believes there's still plenty of room for improvement.
"It was a great win for us, but we've got to tighten up," he said.
"We've got to get that back line right, we've got to get the midfield holding onto the ball and not giving it away.
"We're looking at performance and processes on the the field, rather than what outcomes are."
Phoenix will be missing a couple of key players for Saturday's match against Adelaide, which it beat 3-1 in late December.
Defender Manny Muscat is serving out a one-match suspension after accumulating five yellow cards and midfielder Kenny Cunningham will be rested with a tight hamstring.
Captain Andrew Durante is also in doubt after receiving a knock to his calf and will undergo a fitness test on Saturday morning.
Louis Fenton is back after sitting out the last two games with concussion, Tom Doyle is also available for selection, while youngster Alex Rufer is on standby until a decision is reached about Durante.
