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A surge to home playoffs football in front of sold out stadiums at the tail end of last year, an unbeaten World Cup for the Phoenix All Whites and the majority of last year's squad intact meant that plenty of football scribes in both Australia and New Zealand thought the Wellington Phoenix could be a real force this edition of the A-League. The first half of the season, however, has been less than memorable for the Wellington-based side, and their season appears in real danger of peetering out. Despite all that, they remain in the thick of the race for the last two playoff spots, at least, and may well still find the consistency they need to get there.
Top students
Last season Paul Ifill had arguably one of the best ever debut seasons for an A-League import. This time around he's cut a frustrated figure and struggled to reproduce his best form. Manny Muscat has played both full back and the defensive midfield position Herbert prefers him in, and has consistently been the best Nix player. That Barbarouses kid's done pretty well, too...
Class clowns
It's difficult to isolate any real duds amongst a group of players that have largely been mediocre. An off season spent in South Africa may have harmed Herbert's recruitment efforts, but the squad at his disposal is at least the equal of plenty of A-League sides. If Wellington continue to fail to get cohesive displays out players that have produced the goods before, Herbert may begin to find fingers pointed in his direction instead - proof of how quickly coaches' fortunes can change in this game.
Grade
C-
The Phoenix are still very much in the playoff mix, but have struggled to produce consistently. They recently beat second placed Adelaide, but have managed woeful performances since then. Their long term problems away from home are also still to be resolved: they've managed just one win away after 20 games, and their home form hasn't been quite as imperious as last season's, so they've less to fall back on.
Outlook
The Phoenix's season could yet go either way. Their impressive run to the playoffs last year didn't start until late, but that was built on a solid defense and a terrifying Paul Ifill. The Phoenix are stuttering at the moment, but their season is far from over and there have been glimmers for the optimist to hold on to. In five games their mid-season doldrums could be a distant memory.