Yeovil Town manager Billy Rowley has urged fans to be patient as the club embarks on its National League campaign, acknowledging it may take six to nine months before his team reaches its full potential.
The Glovers begin the new season away at Scunthorpe United, following a summer of significant change at Huish Park. The squad has undergone a major rebuild, welcoming 15 new signings while seeing 10 players leave. Yeovil will be keen to end a winless streak against Scunthorpe that stretches back to 2012, having failed to secure a victory in their last five encounters at Glanford Park.
Despite the buzz surrounding the team, Rowley emphasises the importance of managing expectations as the new-look squad continues to develop its cohesion.
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“I think there’s a lot of excitement around the team and the club at the moment,” he said. “But from where I’m sitting, this is a two-year project.”
He added: “We want to finish as high as possible this year, and aim to win every game. We’re going to Scunthorpe to try and win the game.”
While supporters are hopeful that Yeovil might mount a strong challenge near the top of the table, Rowley prefers to take a pragmatic approach.
“Do I think we’ll be up there? I don’t know,” he admitted. “Do we have some good players this year? Has recruitment been good? Yes. We’ll just take it game by game.”
With the squad strengthened by several quality additions, the manager faces tough decisions regarding team selection for Saturday’s opener.
“We’ve got serious talent, and one or two will have to be left out of the squad, which is gut-wrenching as a management team,” Rowley explained. “I haven’t decided on the squad yet; we have a rough idea.”
Looking ahead to the first match of the season, Rowley is eager but acknowledges the challenge posed by the hosts.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “Andy Butler has done a great job with Scunthorpe, and I know what they’re about; they’re a really difficult team to play against.”
The Glovers’ season opener this Saturday offers an opportunity to set the tone, with Rowley hoping Yeovil can imprint their style of play and secure a valuable three points to take back to Somerset.