Wellington Phoenix players congratulate goalkeeper Alex Paulsen after his penalty save against Perth Glory. Photo: Photosport
Wellington Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano is sticking to the "game by game" mindset that has seen the team make their best start to an A-League season.
The Phoenix entered the inaugural Unite Round in second place on the standings, just two points behind unbeaten Melbourne Victory and three points clear of the chasing pack.
Wellington have played all but one of their rivals, the reigning champions Central Coast Mariners, through the opening 11 rounds of the season, but Italiano hasn't felt the need to reassess his team's goals.
"I'm still of the mindset that we take every game on its merit, it's game by game," he said.
"I think you'll see over the next five or six weeks, probably by the end of February, the table will start sorting itself out and then we'll start readjusting goals and what we can achieve.
"For me every time we talk about the future or where we are on the table it seems to be a bit more of a distraction than a positive element and that's because once you take focus away from the now it's very easy to lose sight of what's been working for us.
"That's the same messaging I give to the group every day. It only matters when we get to round 27 where we sit."
Wellington face the Glory for the second time this season, having beaten Perth 2-1 in their home opener back in October thanks to some late heroics from Alex Paulsen, who saved his first penalty of the season.
This time the 'distance derby' is being played at a neutral venue with CommBank Stadium in Sydney staging the Unite Round fixture on Sunday night.
Perth started the round in 11th place with two wins and two draws from the opening 11 rounds.
Kosta Barbarouses of the Wellington Phoenix. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Italiano will be able to call on a near full-strength squad, with veteran forward Kosta Barbarouses again leading the frontline.
Barbarouses has scored six goals in his past four games, after being unable to find the back of the net in the opening seven rounds.
"The fact that those [first] two goals against Macarthur were well taken gave him the confidence to say 'alright, this is the old me' and now I don't think confidence is an issue.
"He has that belief that he can score. This could have started at round one or round two.
"For me he's done nothing different he's just been a really good professional on and off the park. He's a good leader in the group and it was more about time than anything."
Young forward Oskar van Hattum hasn't made the trip to Sydney because of injury and has been replaced in the extended squad by New Zealand under-17 international Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues.
Striker Oskar Zawada remains sidelined with a thigh injury, but has been able to do some individual work at training this week.
