Just Letting You Know That The Welly Nix Finally Do Have A New Manager Now
Mark Rudan, aye? He’s not the romantic choice but hands were pretty tied on this one. There are no available local candidates and it was never ideal to ask Fritz Schmid or one of that lot to double up on jobs. Chances are there ain’t too many European based gaffers willing to move all the way to Aotearoa for a club that might not even exist in two years, plus the Nix are obviously aware of not wanting to make too drastic a culture shift this time after the Darije Kalezic dilemma. So the only real option left was a solid Aussie candidate and they grabbed a good one.
Sometimes you write an article and it lingers for weeks, sometimes you write an article about how the Wellington Phoenix still don’t have a manager and then within two hours of slapping that publish button there’s the announcement that a new boss will be unveiled at midday the next day and you come home from footy training to be bombarded that whole thing. Not to be too specific or anything… but if The Niche Cache supplied the straw that broke the camel’s back then you’re welcome. Join our Patreon list!
It’s nice to make a difference and it’s also nice to see the Wellington Phoenix finally getting on with getting on. Mark Rudan captained Sydney FC to the inaugural A-League title back in the day and represented Australia at youth level. He has had success as a manager with Sydney United at state level and has also taken charge of the Aussie U20s. In 2017 he spent time doing a little coaching development under Unai Emery at PSG during their preseason. The dude’s 42 years old now and is best known to local fans as a recurring analyst on Fox Sport’s A-League coverage… if you’re one of those people who watch such things.
Nobody’s got anything bad to say about the bloke. The consensus is that he’s been on the brink of an A-League job for a few years now, one of Australia’s best up and coming managers. Exactly what the Phoenix need right now. They tried their luck with a few assistants in the A-League and didn’t much like what they had there. A lot of Aussies simply weren’t going to consider them. A lot are probably preferring to align themselves with expansion franchises instead where there’s more money and more long term stability (supposing they can get with one of the 2 of 15 that gets chosen).
The Nix’s best chance of convincing someone to manage their footy team was going to come from targeting a manager with something to prove. Someone whose ambition matches their qualifications. Mark Rudan has already proven himself to be that person by agreeing to coach the Welly Nix. We don’t really need to think any deeper than that.
And his introductory press conference was impressive. He spoke about his experiences with Unai Emery, now the Arsenal manager for those of you with current geological habitations, sounding not like one of those old school bosses who prefers passion to tactics, heart to smarts and hard work to actual ability but instead sounding like a bugger who knows exactly what he wants to see from his players on the field and how to instil those ideas within them at training. Like a modern football manager, in other words. Plus take a quick scroll down his twitter and it’s mostly all charity stuff for brain cancer research and awareness, which goes down nicely as its own character reference. Seems like a decent chap.
The Fox Sports connection is going to get a lot of yarns online given how that particular organisation hasn’t tended to be very generous towards the Phoenix in the past. But that’s a positive. Rudan’s mates with those guys so they’ll hopefully now be more inclined to wish the club well. Getting onside with some of those jokers is hardly the worst thing to be doing right now, the club needs all the good PR it can get over the last two years of this licence.
Okay then, Rudan ticks the box for footy smarts. He ticks the box for qualifications. He ticks the box for A-League politics. He ticks the box for A-League experience. He ticks the box for being a nice guy. He ticks the box for also being a very competitive and demanding guy when it comes to his football team. He ticks the box for leadership. He ticks the box for ambition. Anything else you were hoping for from the new manager? He doesn’t tick the box for being Ramon Tribulietx… but that ship sailed months ago.
Lots to feel good about. Nobody can say much more until we see what players he brings in and then eventually, but most importantly, see whether or not those results start pouring in. But so far so good.
We now cross live to the Rob Morrison Is Losing His Mind (And Nobody Is Reaping Any Benefits) Desk…
Rob Morrison: “We had a large number of successful coaches apply for the role, including a number with considerable A League experience but Mark stood out with his passion and desire to make a difference at the club. The feedback on Mark from the people we spoke to, which included some of the most respected and experienced people in Australian football, was universally excellent with all stressing what a talented coach, man manager and determined leader he is.
Mark is an exciting 'next generation' coach, who will bring fresh energy, focus and discipline to the playing group at the club and he can't wait to stamp his mark upon the A League. We are an 'underdog' club, we can't escape that, we have to fight for everything we get and we wanted someone who would by into what the club faces and is capable of leading that fights and we think Mark is that person.”
Wait, but that’s really good! Not sure about the validity of the ‘large number of successful coaches applying’ bit, though Bobby would know better than anyone else. Also the definition of phrases like ‘large number’ and ‘successful coaches’ can be rather fluid if you want them to be. But a next generation coach is a great bit of progressive thinking from a club that could be excused for acting otherwise. Reinforcing the bloke’s reputation, sweet as. Gets a little too hard on the underdog thing at the end but all goods. Lovely to have some positivity emanating from the… oh wait what’s this? More information has come to light…
Well… he had a point about the irrelevance of comments made 16 months ago. He also had a point about the general hiring process, as well as it not being his job at the club to know every Aussie footy manager/pundit.
But, seriously, interrupting the press conference from the other side of the room is some David Higgins level of chaos. All for a little rant designed to protect your own ego/reputation/image when everybody else had laughed the matter off? Makes you pine for the good old days when you couldn’t get a comment out of the club if you tried. Guess this is why.
Ah but don’t let it spoil an otherwise happy day. The Phoenix finally have a new manager. Is that sunshine streaking through the clouds, suddenly?
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