New culture manifests itself in tight-knit Phoenix dressing room

David Williams wasn’t there to experience the lows of last season. But he’s heard the horror stories from the Wellington Phoenix team-mates who were.

‘‘A lot of cliques, a lot of people doing their own things. You know, quiet. People not really enjoying each other’s company. Players not really going for lunch or coffees together,’’ said Williams, who revealed an unhappy culture manifested as the Phoenix only narrowly avoided the wooden spoon.

It’s a different situation now under Mark Rudan though, to the point where the 30-year-old, who has returned to the A-league following two seasons with Hungarian club Haladas, believes the tight-knit bond formed by the playing group during the pre-season will set the Phoenix apart from the rest in 2018-19.

‘‘In between trainings, in between meetings and what not, we’re a friendly bunch of guys. We fight on the pitch and leave it there. When we come off we can sit down with each other and have a laugh. The buzz in the changing room in the morning, even around the fine system, we have some funny things that keep us on our toes.

‘‘Apparently this is one of the better dressing rooms that has been around for the last couple of years and I’m honoured

to be a part of that and hopefully my influence is rubbing off on some of the younger players and even some of the current players who have been here for the last couple of years.’’

In order to help galvanise the team, Rudan called in the army and put the players through a series of tests over 24-hour period without food or sleep last week.

The Phoenix launch their new campaign tomorrow against the Newcastle Jets, who reached last season’s final.

‘‘We don’t want to say all these things and get everyone hyped up and then get so high that it’s a quick fall,’’ Williams said. ‘‘Even if we do lose games, but I don’t want to speak negatively about that, it’s going to be exciting games because we’re still going to throw everything at them.

‘‘We’re going to be playing attacking football and with the quality that we have, we’re going to see goals so I don’t think there’s going to be droughts at all. Who the goals are going to come from, there’s a range of players who can definitely do that.’’