Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay. Photo / Photosport
If Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay ever wants a break from football, surely a career in human resources is beckoning. He's got an obvious talent in that area, given the employment miracles he has worked since arriving in Wellington.
Talay assessed more than 500 players from around the world in assembling his squad for this season. It was the ultimate recruitment job, and arguably one of the most successful undertaken by any Kiwi professional sporting franchise.
And it had to be. When Talay got the job in June, it wasn't quite ground zero, but it wasn't far off. There were seven players on the books.
Roy Krishna and David Williams, who had scored 30 of the Phoenix's 46 goals last season, took big money deals in India. A-League Goalkeeper of the Year Filip Kurto and club legend Andrew Durante followed Mark Rudan to Western United, and Sarpreet Singh, the club's most outstanding young talent, left for Bayern Munich. The prophets of doom were circling, but Talay, in his first head coaching role, was undaunted.
"We had two choices; we could say 'wow, we've only got seven players', or 'wow, we've got an opportunity to build something'," Talay tells the Herald on Sunday.
He started assessing players, working contacts, checking footage.
"It was a big process, about four months of work," says Talay. "Speaking to players, agents. We looked at more than 500 players and were diligent and patient to make sure we found the right ones."
After being approached by agents, Talay would assess potential players on various video platforms and examine their CV and playing background. If that stacked up, he and his team would seek character references from former coaches and teammates. The final step was an interview; Talay called every player the club was interested in.
"I always like having a discussion with the player over the phone and it gives them an opportunity to ask questions."
The signing of Ulises Davila, who scored his 10th goal of the season in Friday's win over the Jets and is already being heralded as one of the A-League's best imports, is a case in point. Talay did extensive research, and found a gem, where others might have baulked at a resume with eight clubs in nine years. But there was still much work required to get the Mexican to Wellington.
"We spoke to his agent a lot to get it over the line and negotiating a price we could afford. There were lots of WhatsApp messages going left, right and centre. He's a very special player, we're fortunate to have him."
The other standout aspect of Talay's tenure has been his willingness to back promising local talent.
No other Phoenix coach has been so proactive and it's a contrast to the days when Kosta Barbarouses was ignored and Marco Rojas took so long to get a chance.
"I'm not afraid to play young players," says Talay. "I know they are going to be inconsistent. But if given the opportunity, and given the belief, because they are talented, at some stage, they are going to become better and have a chance to be successful.
"Not all are going to make it. Some are going to fall away, that is the way football is at times. But if they're in a good environment, one where they know they can grow and make mistakes, then they've got more chance of making it."
Talay's meticulous approach to team building has produced spectacular results. So far they haven't signed a single dud, and every new player, from young Kiwi to hardened overseas pro, has contributed.
"We wanted to bring in visa players that make a difference, and we've done that quite well. With young players, the talent is there, they just need the opportunity."
As well as their results — the Phoenix are established in the top four after Friday's win — the way they are playing has caught the eye, as Talay has built a possession-based template.
It's an unusual sight for Phoenix fans, after years of mostly grit and grind, and means they can take on and beat the big clubs, rather than just being happy to hold their own.
"The biggest difference is that we are controlling games a lot more, with and without the ball," says vice-captain Alex Rufer. "Last [season], we were quite defensive minded, and would catch teams on the counter-attack with our pace from Roy [Krishna] and David Williams.
"This [season], we control the tempo and the ball a lot more. We control teams, we make them move. We've played some nice football off the back of our structure. Being able to control games in both areas is the biggest difference."
A lot of coaches talk about possession football but Talay has implemented it after one abbreviated pre-season.
"I have a belief of the game looking a certain way; dominant with the ball and still attacking at the same time," says Talay. "When I played, I always wanted the ball. [But] there are four main moments in a game [in and out of possession, defensive and attacking transition] and you need to prepare for all of them."
Club insiders emphasise Talay's work ethic and man management skills. He's one of the first to arrive and last to leave, often with more work at home. He'll watch at least 10 games every week, including the complete A-League round, and does copious analysis. Talay is uber organised and driven but also has the common touch.
"At the end of the day, we're all humans," says Talay. "The players are humans, too. They're not robots. We show interest in them, we have the care factor."
In his first head coach role, Talay has also coped remarkably well with the demands of the position, rather than a narrow focus on football.
"He's easy to work with," says Phoenix general manager David Dome. "He understands all the requirements of the job."
But there is a cost. Down time is almost non-existent, and when you ask Talay about the last book he read, perhaps expecting a coaching biography or sporting tome, the answer comes with a laugh.
"I haven't read a book for a long time," says Talay. "I haven't had time to read anything, to be honest. Sometimes when we're flying to Australia, I like to switch off. Because as a coach, your mind is going 24-7, sometimes you just want to switch off, staring blankly at the seat in front of me, or watching a movie."
He cherishes time with family, and his favourite match-day morning routine is a "nice breakfast at home". When possible, he's an interested spectator watching son Teoman (15) in goal for the Phoenix academy team. But those moments are becoming rarer, as the season builds in intensity, while Talay is also focused on constructing next year's squad.
His pre-season goal was a top-six finish but does that now need to be recalibrated?
"Honestly, I don't know," says Talay. "The way we're building, the way the players are playing, we need to build on that. If you want to win things and be successful, you have to be consistent."
Whatever unfolds, the understated Talay won't be beating his own drum, a stark contrast to many modern day coaches.
"When we win, it's the players. They are the ones that go out and execute. And when we lose, I'll always take the blame, I'll always take the pressure off the players because that's my job as a head coach to make sure they can perform without the pressure on their backs. But when we win, all the accolades go to the players."
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