They'd gotten stomped flat head on several times already during the pre-Hellenic period. Circumstances (eg. some pretty nasty casualties among the homoioi) forced them to kind of lower the standards if they wanted to put armies of any decent size to field and by the by carry out some much-needed social reforms.

By the EB timeframe they might still have had a bit of a reputation and an impressive espirit de corps, but their heydays were long past. Having to fight something more than the part-time sunday-soldier hoplites of the old days probably also had an effect.

If I've understood correctly their real role in EB is that of elite "classical" hoplites (ie. shock infantry) who pretty much have to be killed to the last as their stellar morale score keeps them fighting on in some pretty ghastly circumstances.