Phoenix coach happy with club’s position
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 stark 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.
New Zealand under-20s representative Elliot would fill the third and final mandatory under-20s spot in the squad, while Tratt, 24, who played for the Phoenix in the 2016-17 season before leaving for personal reasons, would likely be the starting right back.
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 unnamed 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.’’
With the likes of Elliot, Tratt, de Jong and Yoo in camp, Rudan was not lacking in bodies at training. But he did concede it would be better to have players signed and blending into the squad at this stage of the season.
As for the marquee signings, it is understood the Phoenix had agreed terms with Essien before
the deal fell through, while they were never close to signing Martins.
The Phoenix have never really been in the market for a marquee player in the past, with this season’s push coming from Rudan.
After the Sydney Olympic match, the Phoenix will complete their Sydney camp with a match against Sydney FC next weekend.