NO BRAINER: New Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick says Andrew Durante is the ideal choice for the team's captain role.

It won't be a complete overhaul but new Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick confirms the winds of change are about to sweep through the A-League club.

He arrived in Wellington on Wednesday to begin work.

With pre-season training starting on Monday, his most pressing decisions surround off-contact players.

Alex Smith, Isaka Cernak, Corey Gameiro, Lucas Pantelis and Jimmy Downey will not return while the futures of Tony Lochhead, Ian Hogg and Dani Sanchez remain unclear.

Merrick said decisions on the off-contract players would be made "early next week."

"If I don't perceive the players as being regular first XI players, they need to know that so they can move on and have another chance to play somewhere else," he said.

"It's no reflection on them; it's about what I think would be the best thing moving forward for the team," he said.

"There are positions that we've got to freshen up, and bring in some young players. There are only so many 30-odd-year-old players you can have, so we've got to start bringing in some youngsters. These are tough decisions."

Merrick wants to add "two or three quality players" and would look within New Zealand and Australia before considering a fifth overseas import.

The Scotsman is resigned to losing his All Whites players for the opening game of the season, at home to Brisbane Roar on October 13. The game coincides with a Fifa international window.

"At least we've got time to prepare for it but some will get thrown a little bit in the deep end there," Merrick said.

"FFA [Football Federation Australia] have got a job to do and obviously the broadcasters are very important in those sorts of decisions.

"I know that David Dome [Phoenix general manager] worked hard in trying to get a more suitable draw but he can only do so much."

Andrew Durante will retain the captain's armband.

"I've always been impressed with him as a player and a person," Merrick said.