After agreeing to a new three-year contract, Marko Rudan is keen for Socceroos striker Brandon Borrello and Dutch import Jorritt Hendrix to join him in putting pen to paper at Western Sydney.
The Wanderers announced on Thursday that Rudan, who will be in the dugout for Friday’s meeting with Melbourne City, has been rewarded with a fresh head coach deal after fielding interest in his services.
The 48-year-old said he gave serious consideration to following Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat overseas but has vowed to continue the job he has started at the Wanderers.
The club ended a longstanding finals drought under his guidance last season and sit in third spot after 11 rounds of this campaign.
And, hell-bent on silverware, Rudan views off contract striker Borrello and midfielder Hendrix as key pieces of the puzzle as he seeks to steer the Wanderers to their maiden A-League Men championship.
“The guys that are coming off contract are asking, ‘what are you doing? It’s important for me to know’,” Rudan told AAP.
“We can’t stop offers coming in for key players, but this announcement means I’m committing to the football club and committing to the players as well.
“Brandon is big and Hendrix is big… Brandon and I have a strong relationship, he has turned his career around and that’s a credit to him.
“He has a coach here who loves him and believes in him and wants him to succeed.”
While he’s desperate to retain his most-trusted professionals and potentially add more in the January window, Rudan wants his legacy to be that the Wanderers capitalise on their huge catchment area and become a production line of talented youngsters.
Kusini Yengi (Portsmouth), Calem Nieuwenhof (Hearts), Liam Bonetig (Celtic) and Anthony Pavlesic (Bayern Munich) have all boosted the club’s coffers by sealing deals internationally in the last 12 months.
“We have to be producing our own and if not our own, we have to look at the best young ones around,” Rudan said.
“We have to start to sell players because the club hadn’t done that in a long time.”
Rudan admits he could have joined them and tested himself overseas.
He was linked with a move to Japan last month and says the success of Muscat and Postecoglou has stoked the fire to one day prove himself as a manager elsewhere.
He recognises he may not see out his three-year contract on his terms, saying “I work everyday as if I’m going to get the sack”.
“Ange is a mentor of mine and he represents all of us (Australian) coaches and he’s been highly successful,” Rudan said.
“I’m very ambitious, there’s no doubt about that… There was strong interest from Japan and that’s a destination I’m really open to when you see what Ange and Kev did.
“The club knew about it, I was very open with them and they knew I was coming out of contract.
“But I never wanted to leave, while I could have been better off financially it would have meant leaving my family and this group of players halfway through and not one part of me wanted to do that.
“I thanked my players and staff because in this current climate, (it’s rare) you have the ability to re-sign and continue to see out your vision.
“But I’m driven along with everybody else here to bring the first championship ever to this club.”
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
yes there were teenage played that came up from the youth team, from memory it was cacace and waine- who both barely kicked a ball that year - i think this was also the season that stensness and sail came through (they were in there 20's at that stage though) but like i said, he has always preferred mature players over up and coming teenage ones
ShirleyKnot
Roar Rookie
Please explain...what 'dodgy things'? I am yet to be convinced if I like him as our coach but I do not doubt his integrity & commitment to the club.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Well the only thing this season is the MV game a lack of desire to defend, last season the game against City where Wanderers put a very lacklustre performance, and then Rudan did this big cry about the heat , he is seen absolutely laying into Marcelo who did some late game heroics to prevent City from winning. Its the season before that where there were mysteriously different levels of performance.
NickA
Roar Rookie
I mean if Talay does well there's no way he's staying for 5 years! Yeah the Roar situation is a joke - but as you would probably attest I think it's more of an issue around ownership rather than the coach.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Ever since TP departed they have taken on more coaches than the Greyhound bus company. They now appear to be looking for stability at any price?
Kitwally
Roar Rookie
What dodgy things have happened?
Waz
Roar Rookie
Continuity is a fair argument, I was on coffee break when I wrote the above & time poor but I did want to mention who else could they place there? SFC just picked up the most eligible coach and - imo - will go on to dominate the next five seasons as a result so alternatives are few and far between. Roar are a good example of not getting any coaching stability - technically 14 coaches in 18 seasons although 4 of them have been interim so 10 real Head Coaches.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I dont trust Rudan, its not that he is a bad coach, but too many dodgy things have happened at WSW while he is there. If he wanted to win the title this season the 4 goals they conceded against MV were rather strange.
NickA
Roar Rookie
To be completely fair the same thing happens at Victory and Sydney – hence the huge teething problems in their respective poor transitioning years recently. Big club academies will always get raided because there is often a lot of talent there. It’s great that Adelaide and Mariners play the kids (and they’re my two preferred clubs for this reason – it also encourages entertaining games and invested crowds) – but they do so mainly because they have no choice. Ironically I think that is the business model that A League clubs should adopt – not just the smaller ones – but the pressure to win and be the ‘big club’ affects VIC/WSW/SYD, and hence they are perhaps a little more reluctant to rely on youth – given they have the finances to not have to. City are a different kettle because they can kind of spend what they want, and they usually have their pick of the best kids anyway.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Thats not true, he gave a lot of youth a chance at Wellington although he had a small budget which would play into it, but it showed he can deliver to some extent a good squad playing kids. It just maybe the youth at WSW just don't cut it.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
not sure that rudes is the right coach to take the wanderers to the 'next level' the talent drain from the academy under his watch is a huge issue (its happened at every a league club hes coached at) i'd be extremely concerned if i was a parent of a 15/16 year old that is showing great promise - because they wont get any game time unlike at other clubs like adelaide, mariners, brissy etc etc
Brett Loder
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't call it lack of ambition, he wants to finish the job maybe? Once Popovic won the Asian Champions League, Premiers Plate and made two Grand Finals in the space of 3 years...a supposed handshake deal was always in place...he did what he thought was right for him, his family and his career. for the next 8-9 years, they under-achieved...not saying they didn't try...the magic was dying though. Rudan came in with a reputation of similar substance, that he could put competitive teams together. Results have always been positive in his time at WSW? He would now have things he probably wouldn't of in the past at other clubs...the backing of the owner(s) as well. Why not put A-league silverware on your resume?
NickA
Roar Rookie
I think what WSW (and other clubs...cough Brisbane) need is some continuity. I feel he's built/recaptured the identity of the club, which is huge. Can't argue they lost their way for a while and I feel like they're in the best position they've been in for a while. Don't have to like the guy (not sure I do lol) but he's a good character to have here.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Clearly he can coach - and maybe in the next three years he’ll make me eat my words but I doubt it. He just seems to produce average sides that finish mid table quite a lot that’s my thinking.
NickA
Roar Rookie
Is he really that bad in terms of A League coaches? I think he's done a pretty good job and he did pretty well at Phoenix too
Waz
Roar Rookie
I don’t get it. A bang average coach will deliver a bang average team. Is this a sign of WSW lack of ambition? Or are they scared of the change a coach brings?
Brett Loder
Roar Rookie
Me too, well said Grem. That's what Australia is at the moment, a development league and this should of been realised a while ago. Even with Popa here, sure the team's first 11 was mostly experienced, the youth did get their cameos. Other Coaches just couldn't find the right mix, usually because of an inherited squad. Rudan has put together a team of players that consist of experience, youth and most of all...players that possess both, but are hungry to prove their doubters wrong Well done Marko, you're doing a Great Job
NoMates
Roar Rookie
If anyone can win a title with WSW it would be him. Good to see him get the extension.
Grem
Roar Rookie
That’s good - I think he is a great fit at the Wanderers and it’s good to see them doing well. Stability in coaching as well as the team is good. Hopefully he is also able to resign Borello and Hendrix as well as attract new players to the club. The fact that he’s keen to develop youngsters is also a bonus.