New season, new faces and new home for Wellington Phoenix, but same old expectations.
Despite a busy season of recruitment for Ufuk Talay's side and the benefit of home games this campaign, precious few are giving them a chance this A-League Men's season.
"People write us off every year regardless. I don't mind that," he said on Saturday.
"We fly under the radar and we still do our jobs and we end up making the top six."
For the first time since 2018-19, Wellington can look forward to a full suite of home fixtures, beginning with Adelaide United's visit on Sunday.
The club is hopeful of attracting more than 10,000 fans to the Caketin as Talay begins his fourth season in charge.
He's made finals in two of the previous three - missing out by a point in the other - meaning his confidence is well placed.
"It's good to play home games. It does create an advantage," he said.
"The game is nothing without fans anyway. Otherwise, it's like a training session.
"Football is a spectacle and there's no point playing in a game where you're not entertaining the people that paid a couple of quid to come and see you.
"We want to hear the crowd noise, the chanting, the singing. That's what makes football, football."
As well as returning to Sky Stadium, Wellington have also moved into a new training facility which they will share with other Wellington sports teams like Super Rugby's Hurricanes.
"It's a great setup. It's reminds me of the AIS back in Canberra," Talay said.
"It's got all the bells and whistles, with the technology and TVs, the big screen ... and it's also going to be used as a base for the Women's World Cup, as a training venue and also a place for teams to stay."
Wellington have been boosted by the availability of key midfielder Clayton Lewis for the visit of United, with Talay saying he would make a call on whether he could start after training.
Talay has already made his mind up on beanpole forward Oscar Zawada, a key off-season signing.
"We have to build him up with games and matches and the only way we can get him fit is by actually playing games," he said.
"We'll play him tomorrow against Adelaide and we'll push them as far as you can go and when he blows a gasket we'll take him off."
The travelling Reds will be without Nick Ansell (hamstring), Josh Cavallo (illness), Bernardo (foot) and Jonny Yull (back) through injury and Hiroshi Ibusuki, who is suspended after a red card in the Australia Cup last August.
Craig Goodwin, who has battled ostitis pubeus in the off-season, has travelled and is expected to play.
"(The injury) is in a good spot. I'm feeling good about it and it's about building the load up," he said.
"It should be a nice, hostile atmosphere for us, which I'm looking forward to."
