Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic says he has no time to reflect on his A-League season Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic says there is no time to reflect on his or his team's achievements this season. TONY Popovic knows his team are the best in the league, because there's an official league table to prove it. He knows his leading scorer was worth eight goals, he knows his defence proved to be the meanest around. But one person escapes the continual analysis. There's no point in asking Popovic to rate the performance so far of Popovic, because that would entail drawing breath. And with a semi-final against Brisbane at stake tomorrow night, there's no time to look anywhere but forward. "To be honest, I wouldn't know how to answer that," is his honest response to a self report card. I can't say I won't reflect at the end of the year, but I can't look at what I've done at all. What I'm learning in this job is that there's always something else to do - the next day, some new preparation, there's media, the board to address. You don't stand still, otherwise you fall behind as a coach. I preach that to the players, to keep looking to improve every day, so if I stand still then I'm really sending the wrong message to my players."At the end of the season I'll have a break of course, but I can't think about that now. We want to be involved in the finals as long as we can, hopefully after Friday. I'm sure when the break comes I will enjoy it. But even then you're always planning and looking ahead, there are always new challenges. I've still got a lot to learn, I want to learn every day. There is one thing he is clearly proud of already though, and it is the way his collection of unheralded foreign players and A-League pick-ups have risen to his challenge. Popovic always felt that his visa recruitment would be a key factor in how his side performed this season. Of the six he was allowed, all - bar possibly Dino Kresinger, though he is the fans' cult hero - have proved inspired signings. "It's always risky when you bring the players over," Popovic said. You look at their past histories and some have had injuries, but you have to believe in what you've seen and what you will try to do with that player. You have to believe you can get the best out of them, and this year we've been fortunate that all our foreigners have contributed. Not just on the pitch either, off the park they're great to have around the place. They're the sort of players who come in every day with that ethic to want to improve. That helps our culture at our club and we've very pleased with how that's worked out. At this point Popovic also turns around the common belief that the way he had to put together a squad from nothing in a matter of weeks was a major handicap. In retrospect, he argues, it gave him one major advantage. "People said there were a lot of negatives associated with coming in as a head coach with no players," he said. But equally when you have a blank canvas, you can start with a system and select accordingly. We did have an idea of how we wanted to play, and we tried to bring in players to suit that. We tried to put players in areas where we thought their skills fitted that system, and the players have shone through this season from one to 21. Take someone like (reserve keeper) Jarrad Tyson. He's been great, and it would be a discredit to him to say he's simply done well off the field. He pushes Ante Covic every day, he's a great trainer and that gets missed a bit. Players like him come in every day to try to improve, whether or not they get the chance to play.