Benni McCarthy admits he can't wait for his debut season as a head coach to end as he looks back on a frustrating rookie campaign at Cape Town City that still has some way to run.
City have not yet secured a top-eight place with three games to go, which was McCarthy's mandate at the start of the campaign, and the coach has laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of the team's misfiring strikers. But he says the chance to go away and think about which players he can sign for the new season is what he is now looking forward to most.
"For my rookie season you can't really complain. It could have been a mishit completely if I didn't know what I was doing," McCarthy told reporters. "It's been an unbelievable season, it's been a great experience, but I think now it has been extended a little bit too long.
"You want to go back and do your homework now on the kind of players you want to bring in, that you know you can rely on, that you know are going to be able to give you that little bit more in the final third.
"That's why I want this season to come to a halt, so I can go and get the guys that I really want to help push the team. In other departments we are okay, but where it matters the most we are not." McCarthy says he has the backing of club owner John Comitis, but is unsure whether the right amount of funds will be made available to bring in the players he wants.
"I have got the backing of the chairman, but I am not sure if he is going to give me the pot that I need! I would love to think so, because we don't need to strengthen that much, just a few areas here and there.
"But I don't want to plug holes, I want to get the right guys. If you get three or for players in the spine of the team, then we can be good next season."
City have looked solid defensively all campaign, but as McCarthy rightly points out, have not been able to capitalise on their excellent build-up play to the final third of the pitch.
"It's been a great season [considering] we didn't really have a good outlet from the beginning. We lost Lebo [Manyama], we lost Major [Lehlohonolo Majoro]. Victor [Obinna] took too long to get into it and by the time he was ready, the club grew frustrated and we parted ways.
"[Matthew] Rusike came in and he tried, but then broke down. Judas [Moseamedi] has been in there on and off. Judas is not really a goalscorer though, he has not been able to give us that thing that I really need. It is not like we are not doing enough of it [striker training] ... every single day, but come game-time, every week I am left disappointed.
"It's been tough physically on the guys, but I must also give them credit, from the first game of the season we have been in the top four. Now we are top six, so we have stayed there.
"I have to give full credit to the players for the effort, for keeping the team in the top eight throughout the season. That needs some applause. But if only I had a little bit more quality in the final third."
McCarthy also suggests that attitude might be a problem among certain players.
"If I can have another 11 Craig Martins that would be great. He is a young player that wants to improve and wants to do well. He listens well, that's why he gets man of the match on a regular basis.
"If only we had more players like that ... that when they come in they want to learn and improve, and don't just think that they know it all. Hopefully going forward I can have a few more of those types.
"That's the biggest problem we have in South African football, where as much as you want to try and help improve players, too many of the players today think they know it all, that they know more than you, and that they are the ones out there playing and are too good for instructions."
McCarthy is also hopeful that a few of the club's younger players might emerge as regular first-team players next season.
"Shane Roberts is coming through, Zukey [Zukile Kewuti], Fawaaz Basadien ... he is one who is also knocking on the door and will get his chance.
"He [Basadien] is one of the exciting players that I definitely think can make a difference. We have got a number of good young players coming through.