With three rounds remaining of the regular A-League season, and the ‘Nix only trailing leaders Central Coast on goal difference, this particular ‘impostor’ - a coach bereft of playing experience at the pro level - has long since vanquished any doubters.

Once an aspiring lawyer, the man bestowed by an old friend with the moniker of ‘Chief’ has simply gone with the flow since his initial foray into the coaching realm in charge of a Sunday League team.

He never aspired to be an A-League coach, and even after three seasons working alongside Talay at Wellington - first as a humble analyst brought along for the ride after working with Talay at Sydney FC - Italiano had to be cajoled into applying for the role when his mentor returned to the Sky Blues to replace Steve Corica.

“I was never really that ambitious when I was youngster - I just did the best I could in any role I was given,” explained the 41-year-old Australian of Italian-Peruvian extraction.

“Being an A-League coach never seemed a realistic expectation, there are only so many jobs and they’re usually reserved for ex-players or those already in the system.

“So when I took the role I guess I did feel a bit of the imposter syndrome - it’s really been about making the most of the situation.”

Despite his time at Sydney FC in youth and then senior set ups under the likes of Graham Arnold and Corica, Italiano never sought to be a facsimile of anybody - deciding he would thrive or nosedive doing it his way.

“I was never going to copy anyone - I was always going to be my own man and I have a great staff and good group of players behind me,” he added. “We’ve built a good culture and working with Ufuk gave me a lot of belief.

“If it wasn’t for him I’d never have taken the role - he was the one who really pushed me into it.

“He was a good mentor, a total perfectionist and a tough taskmaster. He’s demanding and has high expectations and he’s been a huge part of my journey. He’s the best coach I’ve worked with by a country mile.”

Despite moulding an unheralded team into title chasers, Italiano steers clear of any form of self congratulation.

“I feel very grateful being in this position and don’t take anything for granted. It’s not about getting swept up in success, more about getting the best out of this group,” he stressed.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be in another situation like this again and I don’t want to waste this opportunity (to finish top).”

Not having a playing background can be more of an advantage than an impediment, according Italiano.

“I think it helps me, to be fair, he said. “What I lack in experience I have to gain in knowledge. I have been around coaching for 15 years and have seen a lot of different scenarios and situations. 

“The hardest part of coaching is dealing with things like the board, managing expectations, budgets and of course managing players on a daily basis. We’re a bit under resourced and you have to be on top of things in many different areas.

“But when you’re winning it’s all good - it would interesting to see how we’d go if we had more defeats.”

Phoenix lost top spot after Saturday’s last gasp 2-1 loss to Central Coast, but with two of their last three games at home - to Melbourne Victory and Macarthur - sandwiched by a trip to Newcastle, all is still to play for.

“Even if we were to win the competition, I don’t think I’d change much for next season,” said Italiano.

“If we come up short they’ll be that extra motivation to go one better next season, so there’s an upside if things don’t go well.”

Italiano has another season left with Phoenix, and has already attracted interest from elsewhere in the A-League, but is happy live for the moment, whilst concerned about a pervading malaise around the league in terms of exposure, attendances and TV ratings.

The impending arrival of Auckland, he believes, will be a plus for the competition as it seeks a circuit breaker.

“I don’t believe things are as bad as what some say but the league needs added exposure, that’s for sure,” he pointed out.

“The sport just isn’t mainstream at the moment and needs a big marketing boost. The transition from Fox Sports to Channel Ten in terms of rights and public relations has seen a bit of a decline.

“I feel Auckland coming in will help. I feel the A-League can comfortably go to 16 teams. I’d like to see a straight forward home and away fixture, not the convoluted way it is today. 

“In think Auckland will spend a lot of money because (owner) Bill Foley wants to win the league. 

“But it’s a tough business to be in: you need deep pockets and a long term game plan.”