The contrast between Mark Milligan’s club and international duties could not be starker.
With Australia, the 31-year-old is part of a dominant squad expected to win every match on the way to World Cup 2018. Yet when he reports back for Bani Yas, mere survival becomes the aim.
This situation reached its nadir last weekend when the basement battle at Emirates Club ended in a humiliating 6-0 thrashing and return to last place in the Arabian Gulf League.
Asked how troublesome it has been alternating between these strikingly different realities, the utility man replied: “Extremely, extremely difficult. I am very competitive by nature.
“I am finding it hardest as I do not know how to help anymore and what to do. It is very difficult personally, but to be honest, as a group it is more difficult.”
A disappointing debut campaign in Abu Dhabi during 2015/16 finished up with a ninth-placed finish. The ex-Melbourne Victory captain could not have believed even worse was to come.
Under the dismissed Pablo Repetto and current incumbent Jose Manuel Gomes, a woeful 10 defeats in 12 top-flight fixtures have been recorded this term.
Champions Al Ahli are up next at Bani Yas Stadium on Thursday and Milligan insisted the onus was on the current set-up to find a way out of their predicament.
He said: “First and foremost, we need to get out of that losing mentality before you can change anything. I don’t think it matters how good your tactics are or anything is, it is hard to come out of.
“All you can do is work hard. I don’t think any tactics or anyone else in the world could help us at the moment, except ourselves.”
An inquest has seen Gomes assured of his immediate future and the board restructured. With the transfer window set to re-open on Sunday, Milligan was convinced more changes should follow.
He said: “Any team when they are in this situation, they need to look at strengthening somewhere.”
Last Friday, a youthful Sky Blues-XI were two-goals and a man down before the break courtesy of UAE goalkeeper Ahmed Dida’s wild dismissal. Even worse was to follow in the second half, a ramshackle display seeing four more conceded.
“The way we started, we gave two goals away which we didn’t have to,” said Milligan.
“They punished us early in the second half again. That was more due to the fact we didn’t just sit back and accept a 2-0 loss.
“We wanted to try and get something from it, but it didn’t work out.”