Wellington Phoenix are under the pump. They've suffered three consecutive losses, including back-to-back defeats at their home fortress, and now face the most daunting assignment in the A-League - a trip to Brisbane.

Once again, they'll go with a threadbare squad. Paul Ifill still isn't fit. Jimmy Downey is probably going to need surgery. Vince Lia and Mirjan Pavlovic are still some time away and Lucas Pantelis is out for the season.

At least Ben Sigmund is back from suspension, and that'll give Phoenix some defensive steel. They'll certainly need it against Brisbane.

So Ricki Herbert doesn't have too many options. But how could he shuffle the cards he does have to change things up a bit and try to shake his side from its recent slump?

There are a few things he could try.

Put Mark Paston back in goal
Tony Warner hasn't really done anything wrong since replacing an injured Paston in round two. He possibly could have done better with the Mariners' opening goal last Friday, but other than that, he's been reasonably solid. But Paston is the club's number one 'keeper and should have the chance to build on what was a man-of-the-match performance against Gold Coast in Round One. While this won't solve the problems further up the field, it's my gut-feel that it would be the right thing to do.

Move Manny Muscat back into midfield
As I've blogged previously, Muscat is a victim of his own versatility. He's the best right-back at the club, but he's also the best defensive midfielder and it's there he has most value to the side. Without him, the back four aren't protected to anywhere near the same extent, and while opposition left wingers don't get much change when Muscat's at right fullback, attacking midfielders can run riot in the middle and front third. Moving Muscat obviously means finding someone else to play right-back; with Downey injured, Niko Tsattalios is the obvious option despite a mixed performance against Melbourne Victory, or for something more radical, maybe Leo Bertos could play there.

Play Alex Smith up front
Alex Smith is a striker, or so we're told. He came to the club as a front-man, but injuries and suspensions have forced him into an unfamiliar midfield role. Against the Mariners, he was often the deepest-lying too, regularly dropping into his own half to pick up the ball from the centre-backs. Why not give him a run in his natural and preferred position? Chris Greenacre would certainly relish the chance to play as part of a traditional front two, and Smith's record suggests he knows where the back of the net is. Let's find out.

Go to three at the back
A radical suggestion perhaps, but one that's worked for Herbert before with the national team. In fact, it got them to the World Cup and through an unbeaten campaign in South Africa. Of course, this strategy relies on having three strong centre-backs and while Andrew Durante and Sigmund fit the bill, the jury's still out on Brent Griffiths. If a back three was employed, it'd allow Bertos and Tony Lochhead to play as wing-backs (as they did for the All Whites at the World Cup) and free up more options through midfield and up front. Desperate times call for desperate measures; it might be worth a shot.