Back at home, Ufuk Talay is backing his new fleet of foreign forwards to return Wellington Phoenix to the A-League Men finals.
Talay will begin a fourth campaign with Wellington on Sunday when Adelaide United visit for round one of the new campaign.
It could be his last, with the up-and-coming Australian boss a possibility of departing the New Zealand club when out-of-contract at season's end.
Thanks to the relaxation of once tough-as-nails COVID-19 rules and border controls, it should be the first uninterrupted by the pandemic since he started.
"We're looking forward to a bit of normality," he told AAP.
Known for the bright, enterprising football played by his side, Talay has brought in a bunch of attack-minded internationals of great promise.
Joining lion-hearted Englishman David Ball and emerging All Whites striker Ben Waine is Bulgarian Bozhidar Kraev, Brazilian Yan Sasse and Polish striker Oskar Zawada, along with Kosta Barbarouses who returns for his third stint at the club.
The sextet are likely to be vying for four positions in Talay's setup.
"We try to be very fluid. We try to put players with the right attributes in certain positions on the park and we want them to use those attributes," Talay said.
Each player can bring something unique to the squad, according to the former Australia under-20s coach.
"Kraev has close to 30 caps with Bulgaria. He's only 25. He's a taller, bigger type of 10 and a player that can score and assist," he said.
"Yan, 25 too, played in the Serie A in Brazil at a younger age, went overseas to Turkey and played in the top flight ... an attacking midfielder who can take players on, be very direct one-on-one, a skilful player.
"With Oskar Zawada, I wanted a taller player. That's something we missed last season, someone with a bit of size ... and he's only 26 too. The right age."
Wellington's pre-season form has been mixed.
They knocked Melbourne City out of the Australia Cup but fell to eventual winners Macarthur FC in the quarter-final. Last weekend they lost 3-0 to Sydney FC.
"We tried to play as many pre-season games (as we could), to have that consistency where players can work off each other. Hopefully that clicks very soon," Talay said.
"We can surprise a lot of people again. We'll go out there to play a certain brand of football and entertain the fans at the same time as getting results."
Talay is bullish on Phoenix making a third finals series of his tenure and is also candid about his future plans.
An assistant under title-winner Steve Corica at Sydney FC and a former Young Socceroos coach, the 46-year-old admits this season could be his last in New Zealand.
"I've spoken to our chairman already about the season and what it looks like for next season," he said.
"We're back at home. I want to have a good season, the best possible season that we can have.
"As we get closer to the back end of the season we'll see where things land. Things are very fluid in football.
"I'm not in a rush to do anything. I don't think the club is in a rush.
"I'm very frank with people, open and honest.
"If there's anything in the pipeline for me, an opportunity to become better and be challenged maybe somewhere else, I'll let them know early doors so they can plan and program."
