Phoenix take a punt and get it right
The Wellington Phoenix have a coach in Mark Rudan with the potential to revive the flagging A-League club.
The 42-year-old Australian has been given two seasons to turn the club around – the same amount of time left to run on the Phoenix’s licence before they have to meet certain metrics, including attendance and television viewership, to earn another three years in the league.
Rudan was impressive in his first press conference yesterday. He said the club needed to change, that he’d bring a fighting mentality and was here to win.
He has been a winner already as a manager, twice winning the National Premier League – the second tier of Australian football – with Sydney United. In his four full seasons in charge, he won 46 out of 88 games.
He’s an up-and-coming coach, albeit one without any A-League experience, but experience is always a catch-22. You can’t get any until someone is willing to take a punt on you.
The Phoenix have taken that punt. Rudan ticks a few other boxes too. He was a Fox Sports pundit for many years. Some of his colleagues at the broadcaster, notably former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, have been vocal in their objection to the Phoenix’s place in the league. Rudan was on a panel one night in December 2016 when Bosnich said the Phoenix bring nothing to the league.
‘‘I didn’t agree with it,’’ Rudan said yesterday.
‘‘That’s fine, we’ve all got opinions. You’ve got to understand the A-League has been yearning for owners to invest into the competition and football. Here you’ve got an owner [Rob Morrison] who’s doing that, yet he gets crucified for doing so. I don’t understand that.’’
It would be wrong to say Rudan’s appointment will bring a complete halt to the rhetoric, but his presence in Wellington should at least help give the club a stay from the Fox executioners.
Rudan won’t be bothered either way. He said as much in his press conference. He’s not one who cares what people are saying about him or the club he’s working for.
The two biggest statements he made were his desire to bring passion and grit to the club, and to sign more Kiwis.
Those two issues have been placed into the same box in recent times. A lack of Kiwis has been linked with both the players and fans developing an apathy toward the club.
Throw more Kiwis in with Rudan’s passion and determination, a few class imports, and maybe, just maybe, they can get the fans back on board and turn this thing around.