JUST as Sydney FC trumpeted the arrival of Gary Cole as the club's new football director, speculation only grew yesterday that coach Vitezslav Lavicka may not be there with him next year.

Cole's appointment is not a direct threat to Lavicka - one of the main parts of his brief is to aid the senior coach, where possible - but he will advise the board on all football matters, meaning they will consult him on Lavicka's position.

"The philosophy of what we want to do is not driven by the coach. It’s driven by the direction of the organisation" ... Sydney FC chief executive, Dirk Melton. Credit:Getty Images

The Sky Blues sit fourth but are only three points ahead of eighth-placed Melbourne Victory and with the club habitually stalling before offering Lavicka a one-year extension last season, the weeks ahead could be crucial in determining the future of the Czech - especially as chief executive Dirk Melton confirmed Sydney would enter the transfer market before they considered the coach's position.

''We won't be making a decision on the coaching direction until the new year,'' Melton said. ''The philosophy of what we want to do is not driven by the coach. It's driven by the direction of the organisation. Part of the creation of [Cole's] role is to create stability. Coaches may come and go but we want to try and maintain that consistency in how we [are] going about playing our football.