 On 23 April 2007 he was confirmed as Sydney's permanent coach with a two-year contract.Despite the initial success with his new club, Culina found the A-Leagues 2007–08 season tough going.Highly inconsistent performance and an inability to win against teams both at the top and bottom end of the league table meant that Culina's Sydney found itself halfway through the competition in Round 9 with only two victories.