Given more time, ATM FA coach B. Sathianathan insists that he could have turned things around in the Malaysia Super League, just like Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United.
Sathia has been "rested" from coaching duties at the Selangor-based club after a disappointing start to the season that sees them sit second bottom on the table.
The decision was announced to the players in front of the 56-year-old after Tuesday's training session in Subang by ATM deputy president Mei-Jen Datuk Mazelan Kasap. Assistant coach Shahrin Adbul Majid has taken over on a caretaker basis.
"I'm disappointed by the decision because I was confident that I could have turned things around," Sathia told ESPN FC. "We may not have won the league but we could have done something special."
ATM have just one victory in seven matches -- a 1-0 win against Pahang on Mar. 14 -- and lost their most recent game 3-1 to Selangor FA on Saturday, despite holding the MSL high flyers at 1-1 early in the second half in Seremban.
"This year's MSL is very close. The ultimate champions could lose seven or eight games and still come out on top," he said.
"Look at what Man United have done in England. They lost and drew a lot of games early on but now are looking very good. That could have been us."
Sathia has been with ATM since before the start of the 2012 season. During that campaign, they were champions of the Premier League to earn promotion to the top flight and made the 2012 Malaysia Cup final.
They finished a commendable sixth in the 2013 MSL before struggling to narrowly avoid relegation last season. Hopes were high after four new foreigners were drafted in for the 2015 campaign.
Sathia admitted that not everyone in his squad has performed this season.
"But I am happy with [Honduran striker] Jerry Palacios and [Australian midfielder [Mario Karlovic] because they have played well in most of the games. I was pleased with our 2-2 draw away to Terangganu and we had our chances to beat JDT after taking the lead in the first half before losing 2-1," he said.
"I'm not sure what will happen now to me. I'm waiting to find out exactly what being rested means. "
Sathia is a former Malaysia national and U23 coach. He was also in charge of Kelantan FA in 2010 when they won the Malaysia Cup with victory over Negeri Sembilan in the final.
He's the second coaching casualty of the 2015 MSL season after former Dutch international George Boateng was moved to a director of football role at Kelantan last month.