David Gallop has urged public support for Ange Postecoglou as the coach embarks on the Socceroos' arduous World Cup qualification playoff campaign.
Postecoglou has endured scathing criticism this week after Australia finished third in their Asian qualification group for Russia 2018, forcing them into a two-leg playoff with Syria.
The Socceroos, who lost to Japan last week before failing to significantly improve their goal difference in beating Thailand, will face the fourth-placed CONCACAF side should they progress past Syria.
Former Socceroos Mark Bosnich and Robbie Slater have led calls for Football Federation Australia to consider a appointing new coach.
But FFA boss Gallop said people needed to accept Postecoglou would remain in his position for the playoffs.
"There's always debate. It's part of football. It's part of sport," Gallop told reporters on Thursday.
"Coaches have the spotlight on them and I don't think the debate hurts as long as people sit back and now realise it's Ange who's going to take us there.
"We need to get fully behind him."
After the Thailand result, Bosnich slammed Postecoglou's maligned 3-2-4-1 formation as experimental.
Slater, an English Premier League winner, suggested the coach should not be a protected species.
"In the past nine months or so, I think it has gone downhill and I think we need a new direction," Slater told Fox Sports.
"The one thing I wasn't happy with is at the end of the post-match press conference Ange got very angry and I didn't think it was a good look at all.
"It didn't look like a man in control. He said he put up with two years of garbage - I don't know where that came from because there hasn't been any garbage.
"He's been one of the most protected coaches in the history of Australian football."
Gallop reiterated the coach has categorical support from the FFA.
"We're not there to tell him the tactics to play," Gallop said.
"It's really tough to qualify. We were in a tough group. We only lost on game. We didn't quite get the role of the dice a few times along the road.
"But we're entitled to go into these games confident."
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