After crashing out of the Asian Champions League in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold said he will make drastic changes to make his team more competitive next season.

The Sky Blues drew 2-2 at Allianz Stadium with Shandong Luneng after a last-minute goal by Shandong captain Hao Junmin, one that sealed their progress to the next round on the away goals rule after last week's first leg was tied 1-1 in Jinan.

It was a crushing blow for Arnold after an underwhelming A-League campaign, one where his side entered the season as title fancies but ended without making the finals. In typically honest style, Arnold said wholesale changes were needed to recover the club's position.

​"I have to be more ruthless," he said. "I have to forget about developing kids. "It's what I love, but I've got to forget about it. I've got to get the best players I can find. If that means, like a lot of the others clubs, who don't have any kids, that's what I have to do.