Marco - My Thoughts Mark II

So on Friday I had a wee rant about the news that Marco Rojas is about to up and leave the Phoenix for the Melbourne Victory. I was a bit frustrated, angry at the initial reports (without really waiting for proper details to emerge), and also severely unimpressed with the efforts of the New Zealand cricket team, who were playing while I was smashing the keyboard in disgust.

So now I’ve calmed down a bit, read a lot of the reports that have come out in recent days, and formed some (slightly) more thought out and sensible opinions about it all. This blogs talks not about Marco, but also touches on the wider phenomenon that seems to be developing: of New Zealand players developing at the Phoenix before leaving the club. To do this I’m going to wear two completely different hats.

The first hat I am going to wear is going to be my Phoenix hat. I’m a member of the Yellow Fever who gave Marco his crack. It is downright annoying (though maybe not the ‘treachery’ I called it on Friday) that he would leave us for another A-League team. It is hard to know what he thinks he can gain over there that he can’t gain here – especially as he is already a star of the first team. It’s not like the Barbarouses situation in this case. His father has said Marco wants to play as a central midfielder, well with Nick Ward potentially leaving there could well be a hole in the middle of the park. If Marco was that desperate to change positions, surely impressing the national coach would be a good place to start. To sum, in my opinion, with what is (or isn’t) emerging through the media, with Ricki, Terry, and Marco all remaining silent, something doesn’t quite make sense. I think there must be something else that is driving the Yellow Fever’s poster child out of Wellington.

The second hat I am putting on his my one as a supporter of New Zealand football. In this instance, Rojas leaving could well be a positive thing, for two reasons. The first is simple – it is another young Kiwi footballer out there in the big wide world of international football. The more we get out there, the better it is. Simple. The second reason is that it shows that the idea that led to the Phoenix is working. Kiwi footballers are coming into the team, developing, becoming better players and moving on. Shane Smeltz, Glen Moss, Kosta Barbarouses, (plus Tony Lochhead who went on trial at Middlesbrough) have already come through, developed, and moved on to be key members of their respective clubs and the national side. While at this stage we are seeing guys just go to A-League clubs, they are all stars for their respective teams. In what I might term the New Zealand football production line, a truly valuable cog in the system would be the Phoenix.

So switching hats again I guess the question is where to next for the Phoenix, especially post-Marco. Well I would postulate that we will be back to where we were after Smeltz and Moss left, and again after Kosta left. We have ‘produced’ (I use the term ‘produced’ loosely, as I realise Smeltz and Moss were internationals when they were picked up by the Phoenix, however their careers were certainly in the footballing backwater) four top quality Kiwis in four years. That is quite a strike rate and certainly flies in the face of those who worry the Phoenix are not doing their bit to help New Zealand football. More young players will come along, perhaps one already has. Sean Lovemore is a young Kiwi who has already made his debut in the A-League. When he trialled in the last preseason, skipper Andrew Durante said "Sean up front, he's very quick across the ground and he had a couple of good chances to score." While he is still young and yet to be signed for the Phoenix for the next season, I think it goes to show that the production line will continue. The Phoenix will have new heroes rise, and if the past four years is anything to go by, New Zealand footballers will continue to come through and develop in a professional environment, before moving onto bigger and better things.

Marco - what are you doing?

So rumour has it that Marco Rojas is looking likely to sign for another A-League team, probably the Melbourne Victory. If this was to go ahead, this would for me be nothing short of treachery.

First of all, I realise that the Wellington Phoenix are not the top of the pops. Players will get better opportunities to earn more money, and play in better leagues. I also realise if you are not getting the chances to play in the first team here, it is more than fair to seek fresh pastures (both Kosta Barbarouses and Glen Moss are examples of this).

But none of these apply to Rojas. The club showed faith in him when a serious injury struck him down, and got his chance at the backend of the last season. Since then, he hasn’t looked back, and was our best player for the last two months. But the guy’s only played 10 games. Sure, he was the best player on the pitch for six or seven of them, but that’s not even a third of a season. At the end of the day, sure he is talented and has a great future, but at no point do I think he has ‘made it’.

I would not begrudge him if a European team was to take a punt and sign him up. That’s an opportunity no one can turn down. If it was another A-League team though, I would take great exception. I simply can’t grasp what he could achieve in Australia that he can’t here. He won’t want to be playing in the youth league – he makes our first team squad every time he’s fit. Money – well Ricki has said they are basically willing to throw the chequebook at him. Length of deal – well if he’s as good as everyone thinks he might be, Europe will be calling sooner rather than later.

To turn down a deal from the club that he won a fan’s vote awarding him a trial, getting signed, waiting on him for almost two years before giving him his big break, will be a massive kick in the guts to the Wellington Phoenix and Yellow Fever. I for one will be all too happy to dish it out to him big time.

I just hope he sees the light and commits his A-League career here in Wellington.