Graham Arnold has challenged his squad to overcome the mental concerns that are threatening to derail Sydney FC’s domestic dominance.
The Sky Blues suffered their first Hyundai A-League loss at Allianz Stadium since April 2016 as Brisbane Roar snatched a 2-1 win on Saturday night.
It was their second defeat in as many league matches and the champions are now in the sights of Newcastle Jets, who are five points behind in second.
“This is now the time where people need to step up,” Arnold said after the match.
“I’m the first one to look in the mirror and say it’s myself and drive these boys forward.
“Of course they’re hurting at the moment. But it’s not a lack of effort, their effort is fantastic.
“The focus is on the concentration and discipline and making sure everyone does their jobs.”
Arnold conceded the same issues were to blame for his side’s worrisome set-piece problem, which has seen their defence exposed on multiple occasions in recent weeks.
An unmarked Matt McKay headed the first before Jacob Pepper buried a loose ball following a free-kick.
“We work on them in training. It’s concentration and focus,” the Sydney FC coach said.
“We had enough chances to win the game, but set-pieces are a big part of modern football and you need to be switched on all the time.
“The first one especially was very disappointing.”