Chris Coleman admits he does not want World Cup heartbreak to be his lasting Wales memory.
Coleman said after guiding Wales to the semifinals of Euro 2016 in France that the 2018 World Cup campaign would be his last in charge of the national team.
But Coleman is currently in negotiations with the Football Association of Wales over a new contract, with talks set to resume after friendlies against France and Panama.
Asked if missing out on qualification for next summer's World Cup in Russia had made him doubt that was his last campaign, Coleman replied: "It has a little.
"My last competitive memory is Cardiff and that defeat [to the Republic of Ireland] was one of the biggest disappointments of my career.
"I've had disappointments before, but that was more embarrassment -- like the Serbia debacle.
"This was different. We were trying to achieve something special and we fell at the last hurdle.
"Do I want that as my last memory of a campaign? I don't think it is to be honest.
"But that doesn't mean that's going to be the overriding factor for me staying on either.''
Wales begin their post-World Cup rehabilitation against France in Paris on Friday night and at home to Panama in Cardiff four days later.
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale remains sidelined with the calf injury which saw him miss the final two World Cup qualifiers.
Coleman is expected to blood some youngsters over the next week, particularly in Wales' first-ever fixture against Panama.
But he admits the pain of failing to make the 2018 World Cup has been with him ahead of their glamorous friendly at the Stade de France.
"To be honest, for a week or 10 days I didn't really leave or stray too far from my house,'' Coleman said.
"I still haven't watched the game and I watch every game we play to analyse it, double-analyse it, watch it 10 times.
"But I can't bring myself to watch that one.
"We'd been on a good run, we'd won our last three games, and it was an unbelievable atmosphere.
"And not because of the opposition, it didn't matter who we were against, I really fancied us to at least get to the playoffs.
"But that didn't happen and now I'm thinking I'm never going to get to the World Cup, some of our players probably won't either because of their ages.
"It's only been a few weeks and it might be easier in a few months, but it's not really softened at the moment.''