Patrick Kisnorbo remains at long odds to be Sydney FC’s coach next season even if he guides the Sky Blues to the A-League championship this month.
Success over Newcastle in the two-legged semi-final starting on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium would secure the Sky Blues a berth in the grand final,
Under Kisnorbo, who in March was given the Sydney job until the end of the season following the departure of Ufuk Talay, the Sky Blues are unbeaten in five games and have kept four clean sheets.
However, even if Kisnorbo, already a title-winning coach with Melbourne City in 2021, takes Sydney all the way to what would be the club’s sixth championship, it’s unlikely to be enough to earn him a new deal.
It’s understood that Sydney’s intention is still to secure an overseas coach for next season, with the club’s sporting director Alex Baumjohann and the football committee having conducted interviews and in the midst of forming a shortlist.
When asked on Friday if he had been in talks with Sydney officials about next season, Kisnorbo said: “You probably know more than me. For me, it’s just concentrating on today’s training, and that’s it.”
He was also guarded when asked what role Sydney’s star English winger Joe Lolley would play on Saturday night.
An unused substitute in the Sky Blues’ 1-0 elimination final win over Melbourne Victory last weekend, Lolley hasn’t played since suffering a serious ankle injury in early March.
“Joe’s coming back from a long injury. We’ve got to be right in the way we use Joe if we need to use Joe,” Kisnorbo said.
“The fact that he’s training in the level that we like is great. If you asked me five weeks ago, I think the story looked different because it was such a big injury, but the fact that he’s come through that period, it’s very good.
“He’s working hard, he’s training hard, and we’re lucky to get him back training (at the level) where we think he needed to be.
“For me, it’s what’s best for the team. The team’s the most important.”
Kisnorbo would not concede that the Sky Blues, who finished the regular season in fifth place, were the underdogs against a Jets side that won the premiership by topping the table.
“I didn’t really think about it like that,” he said.
“I’ve only come in late. For me, it’s not about the status. For me, it’s just trying to work hard, be positive among the group, and continue to get better.
“I’m very lucky to coach good players. It’s great to share knowledge with players that want to learn to get better.”
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