Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome has denied his club's in crisis after the loss of two more key personnel.
The club announced on Wednesday that assistant coach Rado Vidosic and his son, stand-out forward Dario Vidosic, agreed with the embattled club to "mutually part ways" just months after their arrival alongside head coach Darije Kalezic.
Despite a season of turmoil on and off the field, Dome said he was adamant that the club was still heading in the right direction and preached patience while Kalezic implements his new systems.
"We're going through a rebuilding effort," Dome told Newshub.
"Darije's come in with a new level of professionalism . We've made a lot of changes in the back room to meet his expectations and what he wants to change on the field. Those things don’t happen overnight.
"We thought there was a good match there with Rado and Darije. Unfortunately sometimes things don't always go to plan. It's a bit like a marriage.
"There was a difference in their footballing philosophies and we came to an agreement that perhaps it wasn't the best thing they worked together."
He dismissed suggestions that Vidosic had been ousted as part of a conspiracy between the board and his coaching cohort, as recent rumours across the Tasman had implied.
"They had a number of meetings where they tried to work out their differences and how they were going to proceed forward.
"There was certainly no orchestrated campaign….they were very much in sync to start off with."
Dome revealed Vidosic had offered to step aside once the two came to an impasse in recognition that the club had to stand behind their head coach first and foremost.
Kalesic still has the complete backing and confidence of the board, he reiterated.
"We know from our conversations with players that they're very impressed with Darije and the changes he's made and the culture that he's bringing.
"We're happy with him and what he's achieving and what he's looking to build in and around the club."
As for the simultaneous departure of former Socceroo Dario, one of the side's brightest lights through an otherwise dim campaign to date, Dome was much less uncertain.
"I think you'll have to ask Dario that. There's no doubt that the father, son bond is pretty strong there.
"He asked to be released given that his father was leaving. We could try keep Dario here for the remainder of the season but it's probably never going to work if he's not going to be happy."
It comes just two weeks after another the Phoenix's marquee players, Gui Finkler, also prematurely parted ways with the club.
The GM stressed they would be looking to bring new players and staff on board in the January transfer window and that hope remained for their 2017 campaign.
"We're confident that Darije's building a very good, strong team on the field. We've got half the job done in terms of scoring lots of goals.
"We just need to get the rest of the results right on the field and the club will be fine."
The Phoenix are currently anchored to the bottom of the A-League ladder with just a solitary win through their season to date.
Newshub.
