Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay has yet to decide his future beyond this season - but knows the clock is ticking.
Talay’s contract expires at the end of this current campaign and speculation about his next move has percolated for months.
While he is fully focused on his team -who face Sydney FC at Eden Park on Sunday (3pm) - he understands a decision will need to be made fairly soon.
“I’m not in a rush to do anything, my focus is to finish as best we can and get a home final,” Talay told the Herald on Sunday. “But the club would like a timeline in the sense that if I am not here what it looks like for them. At some stage I will get [given] a timeline”.
Talay has had several discussions with Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison and they are ongoing.
The club is preparing for both possible scenarios and has already started assessing potential head coaching candidates, in the event that Talay opts not to extend his tenure.
That prospect looks the most likely.
Talay revealed to the Herald on Sunday that he wants to coach outside Australasia - and believes he is ready for the next step.
“My ambition is to go overseas, like most of these players, and try to find an opportunity there,” said Talay. “Obviously it has to be the right environment and right club, where you can grow and develop because Europe is a bit more cut-throat. For my progression, that’s my aim.”
Talay’s track record at the Phoenix has been widely noticed, for the style of play, the astute recruitment, the progress of young talent and the commitment to constant improvement. He was A-League coach of the year in 2019-20 - taking a completely overhauled squad to third on the ladder, after arriving at the club with only seven players signed.
Phoenix head coach Ufuk Talay has been popular with local fans. Photo / Photosport
The Phoenix finished seventh the following season - one point off sixth - then reached the playoffs again last season (sixth), though both campaigns were severely hampered by the Covid pandemic, as the team shifted to Australia and had limited recruitment options.
There has been some overseas interest “but nothing concrete at the moment”.
That could change in a few weeks or months but he lets his agent take care of “all that work”.
Working at a rival A-League club is “not his first thought”, though he has been linked with Sydney and Melbourne teams in previous campaigns.
“The aim is to see if I can find an opportunity overseas... but I can’t predict the future,” said Talay.
The Phoenix are willing to be patient, but the need for clarity will increase as the season finale looms.
“Ufuk has been amazing for this club and we will respect what he wants to do,” said general manager David Dome. “He has been very open with us and we have been open with him.”
Talay also confirmed he would not be putting himself back in the frame for the All Whites head coaching role, after New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell told the Herald there were “a number of candidates” still in the mix, after they missed out on their preferred option in late January.
“That’s done,” said Talay. “I always believe everything happens for a reason. I took my name out of the hat.”
Reflecting on the season so far, Talay said it was sweet and sour, with the inability to make the most of promising situations the biggest disappointment.
“We have dropped around 20 points this year after taking the lead,” said Talay. “If we got at least half of them, we would be in a lot better place on the table. But we are still heading in the right direction, three points off second.”
Currently in fifth (28 points) after a three-match unbeaten streak, a victory on Sunday would open up a handy buffer on Sydney (sixth, 27 points) on the compressed ladder, where only eight points separate fourth and 11th position.
The Phoenix have an impressive record at Eden Park. They have yet to taste defeat at the Auckland ground with five wins and four draws in the nine fixtures there since 2011.
