Despite winning the A-League double last season, the Reds finished the 2016/2017 in ninth place with just five wins. Adelaide had a poor start to the campaign and never fully recovered.

However, the Reds did manage to finish the domestic season with some momentum, with only one defeat in their final six games. The South Australian club have also performed better in Asia with a win, two draws and two losses from five fixtures.

Regan, who arrived at the club late last year from Malaysia, told FourFourTwo injuries were Adelaide's main problem last season but the insists the future at the club is bright.

"It was a disappointing campaign... [But] we got some results towards the end and that’s something the club can build on for next season," the defender said.

"We had a few, good new signings and I’m sure the club will get better in the coming months. It was a disappointing year and you get Baba and Kim, and then you get players like Cirio and Carrusca and Isaias players back from injury and then all of a sudden.

"Galekovic spent some time out too, then you get everyone on the field at once and then all of a sudden the club does well. The last seven or eight games we were probably in the top form in terms of form, there or thereabouts.

"So the when the team was fit it was strong, that was just an issue at the beginning of the season. But we build on it, we grow and we learn from our mistakes and next year the team moves forward."

The Reds are still with a chance of make it to the next round in the Asian Champions League with one game left. They sit in third spot in Group H on five points, two below second-placed Jeju United and seven below leaders Jiangsu Suning.

Adelaide face Jiangsu Suning in their final group game next week and must beat the Chinese club and hope Jeju United do not defeat Gamba Osaka.

"Progression to the round of 16 would be huge for the group and for the club and the fans," Regan, who missed the 3-3 draw with Gamba Osaka through suspension, said.

"With the salary cap it makes it hard to have a really deep squad. But when I say really deep obviously the Koreans, the Chinese and the Japanese, these teams don’t have that cap so they can have the best of the best, in temrs of local and foreign players.

"So they have a deep squad and they're fresh when the ACL starts. Albeit maybe not match fit, but they're very professional. Australian football, all teams have shown when we play well we can match them.

"There’s not a great deal of differnece but if we play bad it has not been great, at times, for the Australian teams. There’s not a great deal between the leagues, but what can you do?

"We’re Australian, we have to work hard, that’s part of our mentality, part of our genetic make-up to have to do that and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t."

Adelaide are expecting heavy turnover in players in the off-season with Eugene Galekovic already confirming his departure to Melbourne City. The likes of Iacopo La Rocca, Marcelo Carrusca, Dylan McGowan and Sergio Cirio are all expected to leave while George Mells and Mark Marino are off-contract.

Head coach Guillermo Amor could also be on his way out. But Regan said the team are not letting any depatures affect their focus.

"We don’t want to rock the boat while we are finding a bit of form," the centre back said.

"Let’s focus on whats going on on the pitch and let the rest take care of itself. I’m not sure of the direction, in terms of some of those players coming off-contract. But having been here for six months now I can tell you everyone of the boys is great guy, on and off the field.

So I’d like to see the majority of the squad stay. But this football, you get guys who do well and have to leave to progress or go elsewhere because there’s the salry cap and the demands are higher.

"Hopefully we can keep the majority of the squad and build on it next year with a few new inclusions. But that’s up to the backroom and coaching staff."