Phoenix coach ‘comfortable’
In a perfect world, Mark Rudan would have a full squad, complete with a marquee signing, at this point of the pre-season.
As it stands, the Wellington Phoenix coach has 16 players signed – the fewest by four of any A-League club – and no marquee man after missing out on Michael Essien and Obafemi Martins.
But those facts don’t give Rudan too much cause for concern. ‘‘One thing I know is that you can plan, but it doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to. It is what it is, and you just make the best of it.
‘‘We’re only four weeks out from the start of the season, I’m very comfortable with the players we’ve got right now.’’
Rudan’s side lost 1-0 to the Western Sydney Wanderers in their most recent pre-season match in Sydney on Saturday.
Featuring in that side were attacking midfielder Callan Elliot and right back Jacob Tratt, who both appear odds-on to make the squad.
Fellow triallists Kiwi attacker Andre de Jong and Korean striker Yoo Byung-Soo were also in the squad.
De Jong is there in accordance with Rudan’s approach to Kiwi triallists. He said he would never say no to any of them, rather it was a ‘‘not yet’’ if he didn’t sign them after they came on trial.
Also with the squad in Sydney was an un-named Spanish player, who is likely to play against Sydney Olympic tomorrow.
Rudan said he was not bothered about comparing the current state of his squad to others around the league, which appear to be much stronger than last season.
‘‘It doesn’t bother me what others are doing. There are reasons for that. Perhaps some teams started with a larger number. I was the last coach assigned to an A-League club, so you are working from behind everybody else right from the start.
‘‘Those guys got a leg up on a lot of players and agents have been in touch with those coaches, so you’re getting all the second and third-hand ones that all the other teams have said no to.
‘‘That’s just the facts of the matter. It would be good to have a [full] squad, but I’ve always said it’s about quality not quantity.’’
‘‘It is what it is, and you just make the best of it.’’ Mark Rudan, Phoenix coach