Galloway is confident the Phoenix are ready
New coaches, new players, new logo and a new strip, but will it be a new Wellington Phoenix on the park this season?
If you ask defender Scott Galloway the answer is yes.
He is one of six news players brought into the squad in the offseason and said confidence was high ahead of their season opener against Adelaide United at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Sunday. That was despite a pre-season where they won two from seven, with their three matches against A-league opposition resulting in losses.
‘‘Everyone is confident. You’ve got to be confident,’’ Galloway said.
‘‘Obviously it’s tougher being in Wellington. You don’t get to play as many pre-season games against A-league opposition like you would be back in Aussie. The games we’ve had we’ve learnt a lot from them, we’ve got out what we needed from them.’’
Adelaide should pose an interesting challenge first up.
Like the Phoenix, last season was a disappointment for them. They finished ninth and coach Guillermo Amor was replaced by German Marco Kurz.
Galloway said he expected them to be a lot better than they were last year.
‘‘They’ve recruited well and will be a quality opposition. They’ve got a new coach as well, it will be an interesting game.
‘‘Round one is always a bit shaky for everyone, no matter who you are and who you’re playing. We’re the home team, so we’ve got to use that to our advantage.
‘‘For us, if we can get a good result that’s the main thing. This is the time to get results, but in saying that it’s still a long season to go.’’
Vince Lia, who moved to Adelaide in the off-season after 10 years at the Phoenix, will not make the trip to Wellington due to a suspension carried over from last season.
Galloway, 22, has arrived at the Phoenix after stints with league powerhouse Melbourne Victory and cellar-dwellers Central Coast Mariners.
He said the move had done wonders for his confidence and working under head coach Darije Kalezic and his assistant, Rado Vidosic, was already proving beneficial for his development.
‘‘They pick up the little things, things you wouldn’t even think about during training and then you have more chats with them and they give you personal stuff to work on.
‘‘Since coming here, my confidence has been through the roof and it’s only going to continue to get better under them.’’
Before signing for Wellington, he had a trial at top-flight Dutch club Willem II and said he still hoped to play in Europe one day.