Aiming for finals is "loser mentality", with Wellington coach Giancarlo Italiano urging the Phoenix to aim instead for winning the A-League Men.
A spirited Phoenix have kept their season alive after turning around a two-goal deficit to salvage a point from last-placed Western Sydney on Friday.
While Wellington have only risen as high as 10th ahead of the weekend's games, they are only three points behind sixth-placed Adelaide (23) with nine home-and-away rounds remaining.
But Italiano is urging his side to think beyond claiming a post-season spot, given seven points separate leaders Newcastle from the sixth-placed side.
After snapping a three-game losing streak, Italiano is backing his side to pull off an unlikely rise up the table.
The Phoenix have languished at the bottom end of the league since a fairytale first season under Italiano, finishing the 2023-24 campaign as runners-up to Central Coast to just fall short of the club's first premiership.
"I'm not sure how many teams are coming back from two-nil down away from home - there's a lot of character and a lot of fight in the group," Italiano said.
"I don't talk about finals. I actually talk about winning the competition - coming first and being champions at the end.
"If you talk about finals for me, that's a loser mentality.
"I hate to say it, but if you're happy to be just in the top-half of the competition, then what are you vying for? Just to be better than half of the competition?
"I think the one thing we've seen in the league this year, that it's so close that anyone can actually win it.
"And I have belief, the coaching staff have belief, it's just instilling that belief into the players.
"We just need a run of games and then, this team can do anything."
Interim Western Sydney coach Gary van Egmond isn't preaching the same message as he aims to lift the Wanderers off the bottom of the table.
"Finals is not important at all, because at the end of the day, we're coming last," van Egmond said.
"And right at this moment, if it was decided that we were finished the season, we're last.
"One day, one game at a time, and then we keep on progressing."
Wellington Phoenix's bid for silverware won't get easier, as they're slated to face off against rivals Auckland FC.
The 'Nix have never won the New Zealand derby in the past five matches.
Meanwhile, Western Sydney will next face 11th-placed Central Coast.
