When the Wellington Phoenix play like that there’s no issue. A bit more football such as we witnessed against the Melbourne Victory on Sunday night and they wouldn’t be begging for either Western Sydney or Perth to drop points in both of their final two games just to keep alive the aching chance of a playoffs appearance.

Roly Bonevacia scored two beauts, a pair of thumping shots from distance that would’ve knocked the head clean off any mole that happened to poke its head above the AAMI Park turf. The Nix were up 1-0 before Melly Vick had damn near done a single thing and they were 2-0 up before the Victory had even forged a decent shot at goal. Naturally the second half was a lot closer but after the Nix wasted killer after killer opportunity, Shane Smeltz finally put one away to seal the deal.

You know what that means? Playing from a position where anything other than a win would effectively (if not officially) eliminate them, the Nix have scored eight goals and conceded a grand total of zilch. 8-0 in their last 180 combined minutes. Maybe, just maybe, there’s the tiniest chance remaining that they could snatch that sixth place.

Something slightly disturbing happened in the first half though. Matt Ridenton, starting in his sixth game of the season, went down clutching his knee and would need to be stretchered off and down the tunnel. Ridenton is a young bloke who has had to fight for his rare opportunities. There’s a genuine argument that he should have gotten a run in midfield, his best position, ahead of Lia or Rodriguez at some point during the latest slump in the Welly Nix season but instead he managed to just recently steal his way in at right back.

Which is where he was starting in Melbourne. It’s where he came on against the Jets the week before too, scoring a pretty handy goal on that occasion. But a few games earlier he’d played as an attacking midfielder away in Brisbane and he’d been fantastic. Under Ernie Merrick his chances had been similarly scarce but again he’d impressed on the occasions he’d been called upon, usually as a midfielder during international breaks or with others injured, displaying a calm on the ball and a range of passing that you don’t usually get from young players.

For the All Whites it’s been the same story. He started the U20 World Cup as an attacking midfielder but fell out of the starting XI as he didn’t quite bring the creativity that others could offer - Alex Rufer, his Nix teammate, was a similar case playing as a striker when he’s probably better used deeper. For the senior side Ridenton appeared twice under Anthony Hudson (and once prior to him). He started as a right wing-back against the Solomons in the Nations Cup and came off the bench once against Mexico in Nashville. Alex Rufer was an injury replacement in the last All Whites’ squad but Matt Ridenton was nowhere to be found.

Hence that injury is so disturbing. Ridenton is a young player who deserves more opportunities than he’s been given and when he’s gotten those rare shots they’ve even more rarely been in his best position. The good news is that it doesn’t sound like this injury was the torn ACL that some initially feared but it’s doubtful we see the chap again this season.

If anyone missed it or is curious Ridenton didn't do ACL, jarred knee. Was on crutches leaving stadium.. Still unsure how long. #MVCvWEL
— Clement Tito (@ClementGTito) April 2, 2017

At least he doesn’t have to freak over whether he’s done enough to earn another contract. Ridenton had signed a two-year extension prior to this campaign so he’ll have another twelve months to hopefully break into the full-strength squad for good.

Although… he signed that with Ernie Merrick looking on and smiling. Now Des Buckingham and Chris Greenacre are the bosses and there’s a decent chance they won’t be in charge next season. Coaches prefer to have a say in the playing group they’re working with and, with no manager confirmed for next season, that appears to be affecting the future of this squad. Ridenton is far from the only bloke whose career is in a state of limbo at the moment. This time last season the signings of Kosta Barbarouses and Gui Finkler had already been confirmed. This time: nothing.

Like Roly, for example. It was kinda expected he might be off after this season, the guy has so much ability he could definitely crack it in a tougher league in some other country, presumably for a lot more money too. But then they started rumouring him to Western Sydney and that’d be a bitch for a couple different reasons, dig. Buck was asked about it after his double versus the Victory and this was what he had to say.

Des Buckingham: “We’re in talks with all the players at the moment, a couple of players coming off contract, players that are still on contract for us next year and players we want to bring to this football club. We’ll keep those talks private and amongst ourselves, when we’re in a position to confirm anything we will.”

Yeah sweet as, but… the sooner the better guys because we don’t really wanna be witnessing some double figure exodus after this season. Don’t laugh at that thought either because if there aren’t any more contract extensions coming up then that’ll literally be what happens. There are ten players primed, at this moment, to leave.

Glen Moss is a fellow that seems likely to be jetting off. He’s being strongly rumoured to move to South Africa and given he shares an agent with Jeremy Brockie and Mike Boxall, that’s not a link to take lightly. At this stage in his career that’s an opportunity he might not get again. Moss hasn’t played the last couple games for the Nix either, the Jets game he was away with the All Whites and the Victory one he was left on the bench as Lewis Italiano held his place following an impressive showing in the previous game. Back to back clean sheets and Italiano will be feeling pretty sharp, except here’s the thing: he’s off contract too.

Yeah, so you could look at Italiano > Moss as an audition for next season if you want but even if that’s true then it still depends on Italiano wanting to stay. He might get interest from other A-League sides, he might get interest from even further abroad. The only goalie that’s sure to be around is Oliver Sail and whether or not he’s ready for a starting gig on an A-League team is something to worry about. Italiano has had to serve as a backup the entire time he’s been in Wellington, other than his stints with the NZ Premiership side.

Jump forward ten to twenty metres to the defence and Jacob Tratt’s winding towards the end of his single-year deal. So long as the price is right he’s done enough to earn another deal but with recent injury and family issues to deal with he’s fallen out of the rotation. Might get back in now that Ridenton’s out. Tratt was never expected to be an immediate contributor to this side but got in at right back thanks to early season injuries and would play every minute for the Phoenix’s first 18 games. Ryan Lowry hasn’t ever had the same consistency of selection but he’s done a decent job alternating with Dylan Fox as the backup centre-back behind Rossi and Dura. Fox is locked down for a few more years. Lowry is not.

Moving on now, Louis Fenton… anyone remember him? A positional change to right back probably saved his Phoenix career but year after year of injuries are now threatening to ruin it. Hard to know what to do with a player that can’t stay on the field. It used to be the shoulders and now it’s a groin injury. Sucks for Fenton so bad – at least the Nix were able to get Tom Doyle’s John Hancock on paper for an extended stay back in December (as he recovered from injury that had sidelined him for the first couple months of the season himself).

Shane Smeltz was a known quantity when he appeared as a mid-season signing and he was keen from the start to extend that for another run. Given he’s back in the national team fold, Smeltzy now has one more reason to stay in Wellington too. Things started slowly for him with barely a shot in his first few games but he’s scored three times since then and he should return. Should… but the contract ain’t signed yet.

Speaking of strikers, Hamish Watson is one who has had his moments in the 2016-17 term. In and out as you’d expect from a young guy, he’s also added a few goals and his size provides the team with an option in the front-line that they don’t otherwise have.

And then we come to the midfield. The only two players that have been ever-present selections under Greenie & Buck have been Vince Lia and Alex Rodriguez. Guess what? Both are off contract. Roddy is coming up to the end of his three-year contract signed after he left the Sunderland academy system and Vinniesta had his club testimonial a few weeks back. Lia they can definitely keep if they want to and considering he’s played off the bench in the past it’s hard to imagine why they wouldn’t keep him around even if they do plan on improving on him in the transfer window. Rodriguez’s situation, being an international player, is more complicated because he’ll have plenty more options.

Plus Roly Bonevacia might be winding down his Phoenix career (in style) as well. As you already know. To recap, that’s Glen Moss, Lewis Italiano, Jacob Tratt, Louis Fenton, Ryan Lowry, Vince Lia, Alex Rodriguez, Roly Bonevacia, Shane Smeltz and Hamish Watson all coming off contract in a few months. That’s 11,401 minute of footy this season, including every second of goalkeeping, and 12 of the team’s 37 goals (and that’s with two games to play, remember).

What’s interesting about the midfield is that Mike McGlinchey came on to play as a CM against Melbourne. He’s struggled for games since he got hurt a few months back but Wee Mac was in fine form for the national team, where he’s been Anthony Hudson’s most regular player. For the All Whites he’s been a crucial player deep in midfield. For the Nix he’s usually played further forward, often down the left. That he appears to play two distinct positions for club and country has always been strange but apparently the coaches have finally figured that riddle out.

A few weeks back Buckingham talked about McGlinchey and Ridenton as guys in the way of Alex Rufer breaking into the top team – funny when they don’t seem to be able to get a run in midfield themselves. They could start next season as the first choice centre-mids themselves though, the way things stand at the moment. Oh and as for Rufer: he’s got another year but there were rumours recently that he’d leave to pursue a career overseas after falling out of contention with the reserves as well as the seniors.

Right now we’re looking at a 2017-18 starting XI with Ollie Sail in goal, Dura and Rossi at the back flanked by Fox and Doyle with McGlinchey and Ridenton in central midfield. Professor Fink ahead of those two, Kosta on one side and probably Parkhouse on the other. Krishna as striker. The bench would looks something like: James McGarry, Sarpreet Singh, Logan Rogerson and whoever can play goalie.

Of course the Welly Nix will probably get plenty of these off-contract dudes all signed up again in due course. At a guess, Smeltz, Tratt, Fenton, Lia and Watson should all be at better than even odds to return. As well as that they’ll surely be targeting an overseas bloke or two. Maybe bring in the odd kiwi from the NZP and strike some gold in the Aussie club leagues too. There’s lots of time to go and the club has flexibility here. But just on behalf of fans here, going all out for the playoffs is a no-brainer but perhaps we don’t completely ignore next season. We got a licence, dawg. We gotta plan ahead.