WPM 2021/22 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

Well we are effed then

UK media (@PeteGravesTV, @milesstarforth) reporting that @WgtnPhoenixFC captain (as announced only last Friday) Steven Taylor has retired and a source I know to be close to him has told me it’s true.

Bit of a Monday night bombshell.

— Andrew Voerman (@andrewvoerman) September 27, 2021

RR

Well we are effed then

UK media (@PeteGravesTV, @milesstarforth) reporting that @WgtnPhoenixFC captain (as announced only last Friday) Steven Taylor has retired and a source I know to be close to him has told me it’s true.

Bit of a Monday night bombshell.

— Andrew Voerman (@andrewvoerman) September 27, 2021

With no way of likely getting imports in anytime soon you are not wrong there

Phillip Rollo has just spoken to Taylor and confirmed it is true

Retiring now, or at the end of the season? 

mjp2

Retiring now, or at the end of the season? 

 Now

THW must be getting the call ASAP. Surely

Waineo'sWag

THW must be getting the call ASAP. Surely

Devere?  That guy Reid would lift the gloom of this shock.

Unsettling for the whole squad, but maybe especially Hooper. Isn't he staying with Taylor at the moment?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/300417213/wellington-phoenix-defender-steven-taylor-retires-days-after-being-named-captain

It sucks that probably the best manager in our history has been screwed over the last two seasons with what could have been a really competitive squad both seasons.

Seems like an odd decision to make given he's only just been reconfirmed as Captain.  

You'd have thought he'd have turned it down as this is not a decision you make lightly.  

Has he been given a coaching gig in the UK or elsewhere or does he know something about the A League we do not?

Taylor said he wasn't prepared to play in Australia again and if he was playing in front of home fans in Wellington he would have definitely stayed. Sad way for him to end a great career 

Noooooooooooo!

Wooden spoon for us this season then.  

Shades of the Kingz final days where they were stacked with kiwis, many of whom were not NSL grade. 

I wonder if Super Hoops is having second thoughts?

Genuinely devastating. Seasons in the bin and it hasn't even started yet

At this rate half of the yellow fever forum might be called up be seasons end! I'm a bit crazy so I'll take the goal keepers spot when that is free.

Marto

Wooden spoon for us this season then.  

Shades of the Kingz final days where they were stacked with kiwis, many of whom were not NSL grade. 

I wonder if Super Hoops is having second thoughts?

I remember Fallon's son (and not Rory) even got a game away in Perth.

Edit - although according to Wiki that was 2 years before they folded.
To be honest I never remember the Kingz as been as bad as the Knights...

Ffs. Just sharke. I was genuinely worried that I hadn’t seen him in any photos of late. Thought it must just be a coincidence. Guess not.

Really sad news for the club, he would have been a key part of Talay's plan. I get it though, COVID has screwed his last two years. 6 months in quarantine across India and Aus has to have some impact on you mental well being. The idea of living in a Hotel in aus again cant have been a huge excitement for him. We are now short two CB's lack some experience and leadership. January transfers will be massive.
TAHW to be brought back into the squad?

Not good news. Sad to see him go.
Thank you and all the best.

I guess only being given a one year contract really hasn't helped, especially with the uncertainty of where they'll be playing in a couple months time. 

Fudge fudge fudge fudge

Can we get Winston for a season now?

fudgeing covid, straight up not cool bro. Is pretty interesting to see an import that actually prefers wellington over australia - always tends to be the other way round 

on the bright side, I can't see him leaving Welly any time soon! I'm hopeful he'll play a part in the landscape for years to come

mrsmiis

on the bright side, I can't see him leaving Welly any time soon! I'm hopeful he'll play a part in the landscape for years to come

One of the reasons he gave for leaving is he wants to see his family, so my guess is he's on the next plane back to the UK. Not to say he won't come back, because he seems to love the city, but that would depend on if there's any work for him here.

It's a huge blow for the club, they already said they can't get in foreigners through either NZ or AU MIQ and we were already going to have to manage until January with a threadbare squad.

Unless we can pull a rabbit out of the hat we're going to seriously struggle.

You can understand his reasoning, when he came back to Wellington for that game last season, he talked about his struggles with lockdown and how many times he'd gone through MIQ, but the end is also on the horizon. You'd have hoped the team could have come to some sort of deal with him where he could see it through those first six games and then make a call.

mrsmiis

on the bright side, I can't see him leaving Welly any time soon! I'm hopeful he'll play a part in the landscape for years to come

 I think in the article on Stuff it mentions he's flying back to the UK on Wednesday.

yeah, I'd expect him to be gone burgers back to the UK as soon as possible. He has no family here and sounds like he wants to be back  with his Mum and Dad in the UK.  I can't see him returning to NZ unless the club offer him some kind of job to return too. Even then it would be well after Covid and borders opening properly. It would have been nice to farewell him properly at the stadium but then if that was possible he wouldnt be retiring. COVID sucks, it has screwed NZ sport big time!

Although this is very unlikely, club should consider Winston Reid. Doesn't count as an import so he would have an easy entry back into NZ. But again...this is very unlikely.

Could possibly make play for Luke DeVere again

theprof

yeah, I'd expect him to be gone burgers back to the UK as soon as possible. He has no family here and sounds like he wants to be back  with his Mum and Dad in the UK.  I can't see him returning to NZ unless the club offer him some kind of job to return too. Even then it would be well after Covid and borders opening properly. It would have been nice to farewell him properly at the stadium but then if that was possible he wouldnt be retiring. COVID sucks, it has screwed NZ sport big time!

If I was at the club I'd be pretty miffed at him abandoning them twice. He's a good character and a great player, but I'd think twice about bringing him back for anything. Seeing as they just made him captain it kind of seems like this is out of the blue for them too.

Chances of getting Reid are bugger all as we know, wouldn't even bother thinking about him.

Bit concerned that our squad will be pretty threadbare and academy players could struggle (I'm all for pushing them through as we have done, but two or three at once not five or six). 

Serious suggestion - Miramar and Welly Olympic have a lot of the remains of Team Wellington and have both looked pretty flash this year, why not raid them? Yes it'd suck for them as they'd lose those key players for their National League campaigns, but priorities! Talking Andy Bevan, Sam Mason-Smith, Mario Barcia, JH Sinclair, maybe even Gulley for the depth...

Would this make someone like David Ball the captain? I know Rufer is VC, but he's not a cert to start over Lewis/Pennington

dunnix

Would this make someone like David Ball the captain? I know Rufer is VC, but he's not a cert to start over Lewis/Pennington

Payne took the armband when others were absent I recall? May be a good shout for the permanent captaincy, I like the idea of Ball as well. Rufer not so much, as you said

mrsmiis

dunnix

Would this make someone like David Ball the captain? I know Rufer is VC, but he's not a cert to start over Lewis/Pennington

Payne took the armband when others were absent I recall? May be a good shout for the permanent captaincy, I like the idea of Ball as well. Rufer not so much, as you said

I'd prefer Payne as well. Has leadership experience having captained Eastern Suburbs to championship victory. I believe he would be at Phoenix long-term as well. 

Absolutely gutted and fairly pissed. On the one hand, as someone just a bit older than Taylor and with parents living half a world away I can empathise, on the other hand and as a fan I feel a bit let down. I get it he's has a hard time over the last year but let's be honest it's not like they held a gun to his head to go play in India did they? 
I think we're actually suffering from the fact that the UK has done away with all their restrictions so why stay here/locked up in Australia when you can go home and live a free life? I get that... 

In any case, best of luck and thanks for all the memories. He was a great player! 

This leaves us in the crap now. I wonder if with the extra $ we're saving we'll get someone who is unattached from Europe? I know Talay said no imports until January... But that was whe we were paying his wages... 

Big blow to the Club and I feel like most of us on here are now feeling a lot like Royz does every day of his miserable existence 😅😂

How's Doyle been going in the domestic league? 

Ryan

How's Doyle been going in the domestic league? 

 Don't think he's stood out for ACFC but decent shout tbh. Has previous experience at this level. 

newzealandpower

Absolutely gutted and fairly pissed. On the one hand, as someone just a bit older than Taylor and with parents living half a world away I can empathise, on the other hand and as a fan I feel a bit let down. I get it he's has a hard time over the last year but let's be honest it's not like they held a gun to his head to go play in India did they? 
I think we're actually suffering from the fact that the UK has done away with all their restrictions so why stay here/locked up in Australia when you can go home and live a free life? I get that... 

In any case, best of luck and thanks for all the memories. He was a great player! 

This leaves us in the crap now. I wonder if with the extra $ we're saving we'll get someone who is unattached from Europe? I know Talay said no imports until January... But that was whe we were paying his wages... 

Big blow to the Club and I feel like most of us on here are now feeling a lot like Royz does every day of his miserable existence 😅😂

 Might be an unpopular opinion but IMO he's bailed on us twice in this scenario (both when he had been chosen as captain) and to be honest, I've lost a bit of respect for him over it...

Someone get some tweets liked by Kone in here! What a crap couple of days for football news.

dunnix

Would this make someone like David Ball the captain? I know Rufer is VC, but he's not a cert to start over Lewis/Pennington

I'd opt for David Ball over Tim Payne - he's the foreign player that's stuck around this whole damn time, starts most games, is mature and sets the example to other players with his professionalism.

Tim Payne? I still haven't forgotten the golf cart incident and while he's a hard worker and been superb for us in defence I don't think he has played enough pro football or has the maturity for the role. Maybe vice-captain would be acceptable.

Mind you, our captains kept bloody leaving so based on that maybe let's give it to Sotirio, Rufer or Fenton  😂😂😂 

lthomas20

Ryan

How's Doyle been going in the domestic league? 

 Don't think he's stood out for ACFC but decent shout tbh. Has previous experience at this level. 

He’s at Bay Olympic now, been playing as LB and he’s been alright. Not Nix standard anymore

Despite his indication that his retirement is COVID enforced, his interview with Newshub indicates that he wasn't happy with the club.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2021/09/a-league-departing-captain-stephen-taylor-not-feeling-love-from-wellington-phoenix-over-contract-extension.html

Taylor, 35, has put his decision down to family and the pressures of continuing his career under COVID-19 restrictions, but admits he might have stayed on, if the Phoenix had extended his contract into 2023.

"I tried and if we'd said that, it might be different now," he tells Newshub. "I've just got to understand that this is the football side of things and you've got to accept it.

"I had a good chat with them and they said 'let's see how you get on this year and if things go well, we'll see how you hold up bodywise'. That's when I started thinking I've really got to look beyond football now. 

"When you don't get that kind of love any more, you've got to start looking - that's one of the reasons I've had to do what I've done."

"If you give me the second year, I can set and get a place out here, and plan for the future," says Taylor. "The one year I felt was like dangling the carrot - 'if you do alright, we might give you something'.

"I'm not an 18-year-old kid where you can dangle the carrot. I'd love to have been given that opportunity, but I guess the club have to do their business and I've got to respect that."