Having made the playoffs in two of his three campaigns in charge (and missing the top six by a solitary point in the other), Ufuk Talay goes into what may be his final season in charge, having tempted a number of new faces to join his roster.
While the imports are largely unknown to football fans on this side of the world, Talay has fashioned something of a Midas touch when it comes to sorting through the hundreds of players offered to him by agents and cleverly deducing which of them will suit the side's style and culture.
In short, he very rarely gets his recruitment wrong. The players he's previously brought to the club include Mexican maestro Ulises Davila, English strikers David Ball and Gary Hooper and defender Scott Wootton, German midfielder Matti Steinmann, Israeli striker Tomer Hemed and Australians Cameron Devlin and Reno Piscopo. All have contributed fulsomely to the success of the team, and enhanced the overall strength of the A-League.
Like Davila – who went on to win the Johnny Warren Medal for the league's best player in 2020/21 – the names Yan Sasse, Oskar Zawada and Bozhidar Kraev had Yellow Fever fans racing to Google when they were unveiled, to verify their credentials and predict their impact down under.
What they found were a tricky Brazilian winger, a towering Polish target-man and a highly-regarded Bulgarian playmaker, all looking to make their mark in the season ahead. Happily, all are in their mid-20's and in the sweet spot of their careers, compared to those who often join A-League clubs for one last hurrah (and pay-day).
More familiar to Nix supporters are All Whites striker Kosta Barbarouses, who returns to his hometown for a third A-League stint, and Australian midfielder Steven Ugarkovic, widely regarded as one of the most composed players in the competition over the last seven seasons with Newcastle and Western Sydney. Add established kiwis Oli Sail, Tim Payne, Clayton Lewis, Ben Waine, Alex Rufer and Sam Sutton and a sprinkling of young talent and there's only one conclusion to draw; the Wellington Phoenix have strengthened.
The trick now is to convert promise into points, potential into performance. Again, Talay has a proven ability to communicate his preferred formation and game-plan and leave his players in no doubt as to their place within them.
History tells us a few things when it comes to the Wellington Phoenix. Every season brings its peaks and troughs, they're good enough to beat anyone on their day and they're a heck of a lot of fun to watch. There's little to suggest 2022/23 will be any different.
Strap in and enjoy the ride.
