Michael Valkanis moved quickly to appoint himself the assistant coach of Adelaide United this week despite reports the club appointed him.

“There’s a lot of negativity going around, but we’re very happy where we were at this year.” – Michael Valkanis.

Talking to Neos Kosmos, the former interim coach said he “chose to resume the position as assistant coach” and in turn refused the top coach job.

“A lot of people have confused the situation that I was appointed as assistant coach,” he say to Neos Kosmos. “I resumed the full time role I had before becoming interim coach.”

The club is in tense talks at the moment, trying to appoint a head coach while reviewing the season.

On Wednesday, the club’s coach selection panel disbanded after thinking Valkanis’ return to assistant coach was a club decision.

Panel member John Perin said the group felt powerless without being able to call the shots with coach appointments.

“We just decided that we were wasting our time and everybody else’s time and we could diversify our time elsewhere so we had no choice but to resign,” he said.

Another panel member, Craig Foster, said the group disbanded because they couldn’t reach a satisfactory decision.

In a week after the Reds were beaten out of finals by Brisbane Roar, the team and staff members will inevitably be pointing fingers and giving their two cents on the 2012/13 campaign.

Valkanis says he doesn’t regret his time as interim coach and wanted to clarify his decision to demote himself was not because of his experiences.

“I did have a good time, I enjoyed it and it was a good challenge,” he says.

“I don’t think the time is right for me to take that responsibility at the moment.

“I just think the whole landscape isn’t perfect and I think when you’re young and you’re coming into a situation, it’s got to be about the whole environment, even the team list and a lot of things that have got to be put in place by the club to be able to take the role when you’re a young coach.”

For a coach who is characterised as a perfectionist and by always expecting the best of his team, the frustration during the season has dissipated a little.

Now with the finals over and the clarity to look at the season as a whole, Valkanis is happy with the Reds. “There’s a lot of negativity going around, but we’re very happy where we were at this year,” he says.

“Last year the team was second from bottom, and this year we finished in the quarter finals of the Asian Champions League, when not many people believed we’d go past group stage, and this year we ended up fourth with a home final. From bottom to fourth, I think it’s a good improvement.”

Despite his more positive comments, captain Eugene Galekovic’s public frustration has been grabbing headlines.

Galekovic expressed disappointment over the defeat to Brisbane Roar, declaring he was “gutted” by the result and pointing the finger at those in control of the club.

Club chairman Greg Griffin responded to the concerns and said the club would be meeting this week to review the season and move forward.

Now as the last week of training finishes up, the club will be licking its wounds and looking for a brighter 2013/14 campaign.