The trouble with being versatile is that you’re often used to plug gaps.  That’s what’s currently happening with Manny Muscat at Wellington Phoenix.

Muscat is completely indispensable to this football club now.  He’s the best defensive midfielder in the side, and probably the league.  Unfortunately he’s also Phoenix’s best right-back, as he showed in a typically composed performance against Gold Coast United, including playing a key part in Chris Greenacre’s goal.

But Muscat needs to get back into central midfield, and quickly.  It’s not such a big issue this week against Newcastle, whose attacking impetus through the centre of the park is provided by Jobe Wheelhouse and Kasey Wehrman.  With all due respect to those two, they’re solid but not spectacular players who aren’t likely to carve you open with defence-splitting passes or mazy dribbling.

A fortnight from now though, it’ll be a different story.  When Melbourne Victory roll into town with their galaxy of stars, Muscat simply must be there to screen the back four from the attacking smorgasbord on Victory’s menu.  Harry Kewell, Marco Rojas, Carlos Hernandez and Archie Thompson are players to get fans salivating and defenders twitchy.

Right fullback has always been a positional quandary for Ricki Herbert.  Those who have been tried there include Jeremy Christie (a midfielder), David Mulligan (a midfielder) and Troy Hearfield (a winger/striker). Oddly, Herbert’s never satisfactorily filled the position for the All Whites either, leading him – perhaps fortuitously – to the back-three formation which served him so well at last year’s World Cup.

Without a third strong central defender, a back three isn’t feasible for Phoenix.  And now there is actually a specialist right-back at the club in Jimmy Downey, but for some reason, there’s a reluctance to entrust him with a starting spot. 

He wasn’t great there in the pre-season 1-5 demolition by Brisbane in Dunedin, but no-one escaped that game with too much credit.  We know Downey’s got pace; what’s up for question is his ability to effectively defend against the best wingers in the A-League.  There might also be a confidence issue.

But if he’s not given a go, we’ll never know.  And surely it’s better to try him against (again, with all due respect) the likes of Ruben Zadkovich and Ryan Griffiths before the really big guns hit town.

The bottom line is that Downey (or someone else) needs to play right fullback, releasing Muscat back to the place he serves the team best.  Without him protecting the back four from opposition playmakers, Phoenix look a far more vulnerable side.