Undroppable

By my reckoning no player has been dropped from the Phoenix starting XI this season.  Every change has either been through injury or unavailability, and each replaced player has returned to the lineup the next week 9other than Steyn last weekend, but that was . 

Odd considering our results.

The one exception is Totori who was replaced by Ifill - but as he starts when fit, and he plainly wasn't fit week 1, I think you can just about say his return fits this pattern.

In fact excluding youth teamers I believe the only player officially dropped from the Phoenix squad is Boxhall who was replaced in the squad by Lia when he returned to fitness.

Read it how you like, signs of our impending stability or Ricki's inflexibility and unwillingness to change.  Personally, I think it's something we could do differently - we only freshen the team up on the back of a bad result.  Players will go in and out of form throughout the season and sometimes guys who are out of the squad can come in and surprise you, even add momentum.

I have this feeling Lindsay will never play a game for the phoenix - either starting or off the bench.

Ange is circling as we speak...

What can you do? Lindsay was always going to be forth choice for a spot after muscat, smith and lia for a mid-field spot and won't be seen in the backline before lia or muscat.

To be honest I have no issues with selection. Our first 11 are our best players even in a form slump Ifill is probably a better bet to create than totori. My beef is with tactics and formation and how we arrange our 11. Ifill on the wing isn't really cutting it and I would like to see Ifill get central and try stein on the wing. I bet he's got great technique. All our strikers can play CF or WF so I would like us to switch it up to find the way it gels best.

My beef is that players outside the squad have to feel that if they perform well enough they can break into the side.  Otherwise what incentive is there for them to work hard and push?  They can't just be glorified injury replacements.  Plus Herbert's only changes are those forced on him by injury or unavailability - that's hardly pro-active management 

I think the weird thing with Lyndsay is comparing him to Boyd.  Boyd has gotten time in every game this year without really doing a lot or making a big impact - clearly to give him some experience because I don't think his performances objectively warrant the time he's gotten.  Lyndsay hasn't had an opportunity at all, so it seems like he's not considered to be worth attempting to give experience too.  I guess we can only trust the coaching staff's judgement on this one...I've never seen him play at all so have no idea what he is like

Ive been impressed by him when ive seen him in that holding role..

Ricki said last season that he saw him as a bench player this year and a potential starter the year after

Thats kinda been scuppered when you consider our midfielders of Sanchez and Clark that also don't get a run. He seems to sit well down the pecking order.

The only time I saw him was at Waitakere in an All White selection at LB and he seemed shaky. That was a while ago now admittedly.

Lindsay played the full 90 in a holding midfield type role tonight in Christchurch. Unimpressive to say the least.
I've always wanted Ricki to give him a shot but watching his performance tonight, unless he had a really off game, I think he's a wee while off knocking on Muscat's or even Lia's door.

I have no beef with excluding Lindsay or any specific player.

I just think it's unusual that in a mid table it's very difficult to be dropped from the first team based on performances

Totally agree. Any other coach would've had Bertos, Lochhead and Paston (and others) dropped several times over.
I've always questioned Ricki's loyalty to his regular XI.

For who? Moss is injured,lochead is basically our only LB and bertos is a makeshift right back who has actually done quite well. 

I was meaning over the last few years. Though I suppose our lack of viable replacements were probably the reason that players weren't dropped, Bertos and Lochie have both had a few form slumps over the past few seasons. In saying that though both have been pretty good over the last few games. Paston has looked lazy the last few games, if Mossy wasn't out I would've like to of seen him in.

Ricki has always had his favourites, from day one.

If he isn't as involved in trainings as its been suggested, it is understandable he will kepp picking players he is aware of in terms of their game and potential.

I do feel for Lindsey though, Ricki always talks really highly of him, but never plays him.

Leo has been dropped in previous years. Certainly spent time on the bench.

Not sure who you would have replaced Lochhead with in previous years.

That's right, I do remember Leo being dropped for a few games. But yeah as I said, I suppose our lack of viable replacements were probably the reason that players weren't dropped. It's good to have to FSE now and hopefully soon we can have a couple of players pushing for each spot.

There's no replacement because he's chosen not to sign anyone to compete with Lochhead.

Let's not start buying into managerial fatalism i.e. there's nothing else he could do.  Ricki is the one making these decisions

 remind me how many clubs have two left backs in their squads?

 I'd also like to add that 2-3 years ago when he was out for 6 weeks, people really noticed the difference when he was gone and then came back. Short memories...

We don't have Lionel messi because ricki chose not to sign him. Sack ricki. 

My point is that with a capped squad and salary cap there isn't much room for clubs to have 2 players for a specialist position like LB.  There just aren't that many quality LB going around, and the decent ones can walk into most a-league teams. Heck there aren't that many half decent left footed players floating around the A-league in general.

You could make the same arguments with goalkeepers. Apart from us, there is typically a significant difference between starting keepers and their number 2.

It's hard to tell when you're basing your strong opinions on online streams of highlights from the other side of the world. 

It's a shame GCU aren't in the competition any more. The wooden spoon race between them and Sydney would have been a good one!

Think I would say I’m content with how it is going so far. I think for the most part, we’ve been pretty decent.  The only real game when we’ve look considerable worse than the opponent was the Melbourne game. But then again this is the A-league, and all teams have shocker every now and again.

In general our recruitment has been better in previous years.  Although I still think the Totori signing was rushed, and not really warranted.  And we didn’t get a left footed replacement for Daniel.

Pleasing for me is that we are getting results even without Ifill and Manny playing to their potential.

With a playoff system, you want to be peaking towards the end of the season.  And I think we have shown in the past that we can do that.  We’ll definitely make the 6. Whether we make the top 2-3 will depend on our away record.

^ So much this!

Or their squad.

They won't be bottom.

Thanks leggy. 

You can't say that they don't deserve to be there at the moment, that's for sure. 

I never said that you did. I said that you can't.