Steve Corica is yet to sign a contract for next season at Sydney FC but is ready to turn his attention to nailing down recruitment to ensure they quickly bridge the gap to Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory.
Corica made three grand finals, winning two, in his first three campaigns as Sky Blues boss but Sydney FC slumped this year and won’t play finals for the first time in six seasons.
The Sky Blues were thumped 4-1 by Victory in their final game at Kogarah on Saturday and will finish their fruitless season against Brisbane on Tuesday,
“Obviously, this is probably my most disappointing time as a coach,” Corica said.
“The last three years have been very, very good for us but we’ve all got to take responsibility, myself and the players included, and make sure we come back better next year.”
When asked whether he’d signed a new deal, beyond his current contract that finishes at season’s end, Corica was to the point.
“Not yet. So we’ll see after the last game what happens,” he said.
Corica dismissed talk of some Sky Blues fans suggesting he wasn’t the right man to take Sydney forward.
“Three grand finals in three years. Listen, they’ve all got their say,” he said.
“I agree this year’s been disappointing, but in four years I think I’ve done pretty well.”
After a difficult season, made tougher by a brutal Asian Champions League schedule, Corica expected plenty of player turnover.
“It’s all about just getting the recruitment right for next season,” he said.
“We know obviously Bobo’s leaving, but there’ll be a few others as well leaving.
“So it’s about getting the recruitment right for next season and making sure we bring in the right players. There’s still a lot of good players out there even though they are very tired.
“Next season is fresh – new start, new stadium as well – which is going to be fantastic. It’s all about just making sure we get the right players to come in and to keep moving forward.”
On a personal note, Corica said he needed to “have a holiday” to ensure he was fresh for next season.
“It’s difficult to win them all, to make grand finals, but that’s what we expect at this club and that’s why this year was so disappointing,” he said.
“But again, I’ll just wait until the end of the season, have a good think about it.”
