Mile Sterjovski insists Macarthur's mid-season exodus is not to blame for a drop-off in form that has left the Bulls fighting an uphill battle to make the A-League Men finals.

Sterjovski's side slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Sydney FC on Saturday, part of what is now a run of just one win in their last six outings.

The Bulls, who occupied second spot on the table at the start of the calendar year, have slumped to eighth.

Their struggles have followed the club's busy January transfer window during which Valere Germain, Jed Drew, Ariath Piol and Oliver Jones all left the club.

Sterjovski has also been without four players due to U20 Asian Cup duty but said his list of absences was not an excuse for a performance against Sydney where the Bulls had just one shot on target.

"It's difficult, you when you make a few different changes, when you've lost so many players in the window, it kind of stops the momentum a little bit," Sterjovski.

"In saying that, I believe in the players, and I think we just need to lift.

"We need to lift and start performing and find that momentum again.

"We do have the quality. We do have the players, it's about lifting.

"(The club's January window) is great, and it's great to see what we're doing at the club and the environment we create to develop players and to sell players.

"At the same time, we were missing four with the Young Socceroos, so it's difficult.

"But when people leave, others need to step up and take their opportunities … we could have been better today."

Macarthur are now four points off a spot in the top-six and have a big challenge to return to the finals spots.

"We don't have time to see how things go, they need to step up" Sterjovski said.

"I'm pretty sure every player understands the way we want to play and type of football and our principles.

"We've got seven or eight games to go and for us it feels like it's going to be a grand final every week.

"I like that the run-in is against the teams that are above us. We need to beat the teams that are above us to deserve to be in the finals."