Over the past two weeks, a 63-year-old Serbian must have been wryly smiling to himself at the fickle love affair Singaporeans have with their national team.

And indeed, who can blame Radojko Avramovic for feeling that way?

After all, the public adulation that has been heaped upon his Lions after they reached the semi-finals of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship has been in stark contrast to the public disdain that had been so palpable even up to the eve of the biennial regional tournament.

Prior to his squad’s departure for Kuala Lumpur, many were predicting a first-round exit for the Lions.

They had based their opinions on the string of beatings the national team had chalked up over the past 15 months, including six defeats — and thrashings by China and Iraq — in the third qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup and losses in international friendlies to the Philippines, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

The critics called for Avramovic’s head, never mind the fact that he has achieved so much for Singapore football since taking charge of the national team in 2003.

These included winning back-to-back AFF titles in 2004 and 2007, and taking the Lions to the final qualifying stages of the 2007 Asian Cup and the third round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

It is clear that the tide of public opinion about the Lions turned after their embarrassing first-round exit from the 2011 AFF Championship.

Apart from poor performances on the pitch, that fall from grace was also aided by media reports of indiscipline among some of the players during the tournament.

So in many ways, the past two years have been a long and lonely slog for Avramovic. He bore the criticism and insults stoically as he continued to keep faith with many of his young Lions. Now, he is reaping the fruits of his own vision and persistence — and having the final laugh.

Against the odds, Singapore have reached the AFF Championship final again and are fighting with Thailand to become the first country to win the regional crown for a fourth time.

That is not all — Jalan Besar Stadium will be packed to the gills with 7,800 cheering fans for the second time in a week and the terraces will be a sea of red.

I am still not sure if the Lions can beat Thailand over two legs. After all, this Thai side have been an absolute joy to watch throughout the tournament with their marauding ways. They bring back memories of that golden generation of Thais — including magicians like Kiatisuk Senamuang, Tawan Sripan, Thawatchai Ongtrakul and the two J Surachais — which swept three AFF titles and got them the nickname of the Brazil of South-east Asia in the late ’90s and the early part of the century.

At the same time, they strike fear in my heart as I wonder whether the likes of Baihakki Khaizan, Safuwan Baharudin and Daniel Bennett can handle their speed and stealth.

It will be a nerve-wracking time for me today and in the return leg on Saturday.

I do know something though.

Even if the Lions fail to win the AFF Championship, I will still stand and applaud Avramovic and his band of players for the team spirit they have shown these past three weeks, their discipline, gritty determination and desire to prove their critics wrong.

Win or lose, this tournament has been the perfect swansong for Avramovic, who is expected to step down after it is all over. He deserves to end on a winning note. More importantly, he deserves our respect.

And so, I will say it now: Thank you, Raddy, for what you’ve done for Singapore football.

The writer is the Sports Editor at TODAY.