Despite watching Sydney FC slump to a 3-0 loss to Wellington Phoenix from the sidelines on the weekend, Tony Popovic says that all things are looking positive for the club to return to the form that saw them crowned Champions in the A-League’s inaugural season.

“The whole club and team was disappointed with last season, and probably rightly so,” he told au.fourfourtwo.com.

“This club should be challenging for honours every season and last year they didn’t but I think we’ll be challenging strongly for honours again this year.”

Popovic, 34, has credited his longstanding friendships with some of his team mates for the easy transition back into Australia after a decade overseas playing in the J-League and for Crystal Palace in the UK before last year’s stint in Qatar with Al-Arabi.

He also admits that he has seen just one match of A-League football: “I did get home for a week in January and I saw Sydney play Queensland up at Suncorp.

“It was the last game of the season but I’ve always kept in touch with the boys. I’ve known guys like Stevie [Corica] and Zdrilla [David Zdrillic] and Rudes [Mark Rudan] for a very long time so we’ve stayed in contact regularly.”

He added: “Since I’ve come back I’ve really settled into being at home. I went straight up to Maroochydore because I wanted to get in amongst the group as soon as I could and it’s continued that way ever since because it’s been pretty hectic.”

Most tellingly for him, Popovic believes Sydney FC’s new training facilities indicate the club’s ambitions to win silverware but warns that success cannot come instantly.

“Speaking to the club…they’re keen to be a very professional club but these things don’t happen overnight,” he admits.

“They have taken a major step in finding a facility though where we can have everything in terms of our training needs with the field and the gym and pool. These are the kinds of things you have in Europe so they’re taking a huge leap forward in doing that.

“I know they’ve got plans to do bigger and better things. Seeing that makes me very happy to be apart of it.”