Fresh from outplaying the A-League leaders, Wellington coach Ufuk Talay has set his sights on a perfect haul in January to cement a pathway to the play-offs.
The Phoenix's unbeaten run stretched to six games with a 2-2 draw against Sydney FC which illustrated how far they have come in a short time under the rookie coach.
Rather than celebrate a draw with the red-hot defending premiers, Talay expressed disappointment at not bagging three points.
As with last week's draw with Melbourne Victory, they dominated possession and created considerably more chances.
They're the sort of performances that the normally-reserved Talay believes will have other teams fearful of facing the Kiwi club.
"I believe so. With the form that we're in and the football that we're playing, I think teams are showing us a lot more respect," he said.
"January's a big month for us. I think 12 points is very important to reach our goal."
Talay's target of a perfect start to 2020 isn't a pipedream given they face the four bottom-placed clubs - Central Coast, Western Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle. Three of those games are at home.
Before then, they face a stiffer test against arch-rivals Western United in Ballarat on Saturday.
Talay's men will train on Christmas Day and conduct a day of travel on Boxing Day.
The lack of festivities is something Talay expects won't bother the players given the growing zeal around their prospects.
"It's very positive, there's a lot of confidence in the group and I think they're actually enjoying their football as well. Because the brand and style of football we play is not only possession-based but is also attacking," he said.
"We've got players who can hurt opponents. I don't think we're at our best yet. It's still yet to come but we're heading in the right direction."
AAP
