It is precisely because I do love this club that I am outraged at the management stuff-ups that lost us Taylor and therefore the season. The only thing I can do to express my anger and contempt for the way this club is being rung is to (partially) withdraw my support until things are better.
I think you're are probably the only one blaming the club for the Taylor situation. I'm pretty sure that most here saw it for what it was. 1st he broke his contract to go play in India, due to some uncertainty with a-league due to COVID, Taylor wanted to keep playing a earn some coin so we released him early - note that early on in that season he had been injured for a few weeks. 2nd he plays in India and is locked in a hub for months and his team doesn't do so well. 3rd he is invited back to help the club out for the final part of our season, gets offered a 1yr contract for the following season which he accepts. 4th and finally, 6 weeks before the new season starts he decides that this is too hard and wants to retire from all footy. Club thanks him graciously for the 2 years of service, no malice, no bitterness. He then puts out a statement saying if the club had offered him a 2 year deal he would have stayed?
For mine, and I love Taylor and respect his on field stuff, the 2 year deal thing is just a smoke screen for suddenly not feeling in love with the game. COVID and lockdowns killed it for him - and this is fine. But trying to put it on the club is just disingenuous and really unfair when Dome and his crew have bent over backwards to make things work for Taylor in so many ways.
To add to this, I heard Talay on the radio in the news saying Taylor had told him it was due to lockdowns and MIQ. Taylor was out of MIQ for 1 day then lockdown hit. Essentially covid uncertainty was the issue. Uffie was on the phone to Taylor daily to make sure he was ok. Uffie said he didnt really belief the 2 year deal not happening was the root cause.
"I think you're are probably the only one blaming the club for the Taylor situation."
Well, no - reputable sports journos like Piney, Gourdie and Voerman all agree.
I read that more as them reporting what Taylor said, not them agreeing that it was the only or major cause. They've also reported the counter view from the club and the coach, that the 1 yr only offer wasn't the major thing, so much as the accumulation of other stuff: two years without seeing his family in the UK, multiple quarantine stints, having to go to Aust again for the new season etc.
"I think you're are probably the only one blaming the club for the Taylor situation."
Well, no - reputable sports journos like Piney, Gourdie and Voerman all agree.
I read that more as them reporting what Taylor said, not them agreeing that it was the only or major cause. They've also reported the counter view from the club and the coach, that the 1 yr only offer wasn't the major thing, so much as the accumulation of other stuff: two years without seeing his family in the UK, multiple quarantine stints, having to go to Aust again for the new season etc.
If people read the reporting, they will see that's not just "the counter view from the club and the coach" it's also what Taylor's comments amount to as well.
Seeing as my name came up above, I'm definitely not blaming the club for "the Taylor situation" (though that depends on what exactly is meant by "the Taylor situation").
"Let’s try that again. Starting XI was Sail, Elliot, Payne, Laws, McGarry, Rufer, Lewis, Old, Ball, Waine and Sotirio. Hooper wasn’t kitted up, think he’s possibly injured. Sutton and Fenton came on with Whyte and a bunch of academy players."
Business as usual for Hooper. Injured once again. Starting to think he is a waste of our import spot. Will spend most of the season on the sidelines with injuries.
"Let’s try that again. Starting XI was Sail, Elliot, Payne, Laws, McGarry, Rufer, Lewis, Old, Ball, Waine and Sotirio. Hooper wasn’t kitted up, think he’s possibly injured. Sutton and Fenton came on with Whyte and a bunch of academy players."
Business as usual for Hooper. Injured once again. Starting to think he is a waste of our import spot. Will spend most of the season on the sidelines with injuries.
Hooper being possibly injured today doesn't at all mean he will spend most of the season injured. Weird remarks.
Alex got booked today, but not confident enough on other stuff I heard about match to repeat them.
"Let’s try that again. Starting XI was Sail, Elliot, Payne, Laws, McGarry, Rufer, Lewis, Old, Ball, Waine and Sotirio. Hooper wasn’t kitted up, think he’s possibly injured. Sutton and Fenton came on with Whyte and a bunch of academy players."
Business as usual for Hooper. Injured once again. Starting to think he is a waste of our import spot. Will spend most of the season on the sidelines with injuries.
Hooper being possibly injured today doesn't at all mean he will spend most of the season injured. Weird remarks.
Alex got booked today, but not confident enough on other stuff I heard about match to repeat them.
Just watched Talay's interview from a couple of days ago. He made it damn clear that he has moved on from Taylor's departure. Just the media making a big deal about it.
New signing Nicholas Pennington is in the same boat as Piscopo, albeit even further away from Wellington.
Unable to secure a spot in managed isolation which would have allowed him to fly to New Zealand, Pennington is still in Italy and like Piscopo will have to meet up with the rest of the team in Australia.
Piscopo is relatively familiar with Pennington, having previously played against him when Piscopo was in the Inter Milan academy, while they were one-time team-mates with Australia’s under-23 national team.
Wellington Phoenix have beaten Chatham Cup semifinalists Western Suburbs 1-0 thanks to a goal from David Ball. Starting XI for the Phoenix was Sail, Elliot, Payne, Laws, McGarry, Lewis, Rufer, Old, Sutton, Waine and Ball.
A new set of dates has been released for the FFA Cup, sadly the Victory/Jets game is still to be rescheduled. So the Nix will have to wait longer to find out when & where we play the FFA Cup match.