Lewis Thorogood is aiming for Pinchbeck United to be a much more established side in the Uhlsport UCL Premier Division North next season.
Having finished in the bottom two last season, the Knights were one of a few teams to be let off relegation by the FA due to restructuring within the non-league pyramid.
Although he’s keeping his transfer activity close to his chest, boss Thorogood says that he’s retained “about 65 per cent” of last season’s squad and will have five or six new signings to unveil in due course.
The Knights chief accepts that his side will be among the favourites for the drop again this season, but feels that he and his players learned much from their 2021/22 campaign.
“I’m not going to come out and make any outlandish predictions or set silly goals,” said Thorogood, who is embarking on his second full season with Pinchbeck. “But what I will say is that we’d like to establish ourselves as more of a consistent step five team.
“You could see last season that we became a team that wasn’t being thrashed every week and we were very close to staying up without needing that reprieve.
“I think that, if the season had gone on for a few more games, we’d have got out of it.
“One thing we have this season is clarity – if we finish in the bottom two, we’re down.
“I think there are once again some very good sides in the UCL and, of course, we’re going to have weeks when that gulf in class will be evident for us.
“But I’m very much looking forward to developing the existing lads and helping them out by adding some experienced heads to the squad.
“With about 65 per cent of the squad staying, we can build on that and look to establish ourselves and hopefully show some progress.”
Pinchbeck’s fourth pre-season friendly game of the summer was a 3-2 at Lincoln Moorlands Railway on Tuesday night, with Kyle Onyon (2) and a trialist getting the goals.
Saturday saw them beaten 3-2 by step four side Lincoln United, while they also lost 2-1 against Spalding United last week and beat Heacham FC 3-1 in their opener.
They are back in action this Saturday with a home game against Barrow Town at Knight Street (3pm).
The Knights then host Huntingdon Town the following Saturday, before beginning their league campaign with home games against Loughborough Students (July 30) and Wisbech Town (August 3).
Thorogood added: “I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen in pre-season so far. We’ve seen a few defeats against sides from step four, but we pushed them both all the way – especially in the second halves against Spalding and Lincoln.
“I want to see us work towards cutting out a bit of the naivety before the league season starts with two very hard games against Loughborough and Wisbech.
“It couldn’t really be much harder for us, to be honest.”
League rivals Wisbech appointed ex-Spalding United striker Leon Mettam as their new boss on Monday, replacing Allan Ross.
Meanwhile, Pinchbeck will visit Melton Town in the FA Cup extra preliminary round, with the winners to meet either Shepshed Dynamo or Winterton Rangers.
They will also host Holbeach United in the FA Vase first qualifying round.
