NZ Football offside with Phoenix over All Whites travel

New Zealand All Whites Michael McGlinchey. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

Three Wellington Phoenix players have struggled to recover from the All Whites' trip to Oman last week and coach Ernie Merrick has criticized New Zealand Football's low-rent travel plan for their slow recovery.

Merrick has spent the week preparing the Phoenix for two away games over the next five days against West Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC but has been left frustrated by the decision to fly his players home on the 22-hour flight from Oman in economy class.

"It was a very good performance from the All Whites over in Oman and it was a good performance and a good win for a team away from home in that heat, but we were a little bit disappointed that all of our players flew back economy class whereas some players from other clubs flew back business class," Merrick said.

"That was a real surprise, especially someone like vice-captain Michael McGlinchey, who has played 30-odd times for the All Whites, because he has really suffered in training this week."

Merrick said the All Whites squad flew to Oman in business class but he was surprised to learn that some players received preference over others on the flight from Muscat to Auckland.

"Alex Rufer couldn't get through the next training session when he got back and Logan Rogerson is really struggling today and McGlinchey came back extremely exhausted and we had to limit his training this week.

"Although they had time to recover from the Oman game, we've still got to get on another plane a few days later and fly over to Sydney, which we are doing today, and then we've got two games in five days."

New Zealand Football said that all members of the squad who had games within 48 hours of their return from Oman travelled in business class.
"The remainder travelled in accordance with the terms of the recent collective bargaining agreement reached with the PFA," said a New Zealand Football spokesman.

The Phoenix sit in sixth place on the A-League ladder but are only three points off league leaders Melbourne Victory. Today they face the fourth placed Western Sydney Wanderers who have won their last three games.

Merrick said McGlinchey is a certainty to regain his spot in the Phoenix's starting lineup, after missing their most impressive performance of the season last weekend against Adelaide United.