Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay confident about ending club’s 10-year playoff drought

Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay waves to fans at Sky Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay believes his team are ready to carve a new chapter in club history against Adelaide on Friday night.

The capital club haven’t won an A-League playoff match in a decade, going back to the penalty shootout victory over Sydney FC in 2012.

They have qualified for the finals four times in that period, but on each occasion fell at the first hurdle.

This match will be Talay’s third attempt, after exits at the hands of Perth Glory (2019-2020) and Western United (2021-2022), although the circumstances of the Perth match were unfortunate, as the club was exiled in Australia and missed out on a home playoff due to the Covid pandemic.

On the surface, this match feels like another tall order, especially given the club’s record in South Australia, where they have only won four times in 24 games.

The team also got the wobbles late this season, with a run of four defeats in five games, including a 5-1 loss in Adelaide, before the 1-0 win over Macarthur last Saturday which sealed sixth spot.

They’ve also had to deal with a sharp turnaround and have been on the road for five weeks since their last match in Wellington on April 1. But Talay is bullish.

He insists that despite recent results, the performances have been solid, while the Macarthur result was a timely fillip.

“Footballing-wise we have been playing some decent football and we gained our confidence with a win away from home,” said Talay. “The group has worked very hard to get themselves to play finals football and now we’re here. I’m sure the players will be up for it; these opportunities don’t come very often and our boys need to be exposed to these moments.”

Talay also suggested the pressure was on Adelaide, who have lost their last two home matches - including a 4-1 defeat to Central Coast last weekend.

“Their form has dropped,” said Talay. “They were flying at one stage.”

The Phoenix drew 1-1 with Adelaide on the opening day of the season, before a 3-1 win in mid-December.

But the flashpoint was the heavy defeat at Coopers Stadium in March, where they conceded two early goals and never recovered.

“If the players want to use that as fuel for us to get the win, I’ve got no issues with that,” said Talay. “But that was at a different time.”

The Phoenix were also without Oskar Zawada for that match, as the Polish striker, who has scored 15 goals from 25 games this season, stayed home for the birth of his son.

The Phoenix have to find the right balance on Friday night. They need to be assertive in possession without being too open, given that Adelaide thrive on fast transitions. They’ll also need to be compact on defence but can’t afford to sit back too much and invite pressure, especially with the threat of Socceroos winger Craig Goodwin.

“Adelaide love an open game,” said Talay. “They love to cheat at times with their front three, keep a few players up top.”

Nikko Boxall (illness) and Sam Sutton (injury) haven’t made the trip, along with long-term absentee Ben Old, but otherwise Talay has a full squad at his disposal.

It’s a fascinating scenario for the outgoing coach, as this match could be his curtain call or the start of a playoff adventure, with a two-match home-and-away series awaiting the victor.

“I want to go all the way — I don’t want this to be my last game at the club,” said Talay. “[If] we win this game we get a home [playoff] game in front of our fans. We haven’t had that luxury since my tenure at the club because of Covid. So this game is very important to myself and the club. And I hope that I am here until June 3rd.”