Tam O'Ware has said that Kelty Hearts have no right to expect that they will bounce back to League One at the first time of asking.
But he's hoping that having a more settled squad in the upcoming season will help them in their bid to respond to dropping into the fourth tier.
The Maroon Machine have returned to training to begin their build-up for the 2026/27 campaign, and will have their first outing this Saturday, at Gala Fairydean Rovers.
The Lowland League East outfit will give O'Ware's squad their first taste of action since early May, when a 2-0 win at Peterhead brought the curtain down on a four-season stay in League One.
They finished bottom of the table, seven points adrift of safety, after winning just six of their 36 matches in an injury-hit campaign.
Losing key players such as Callum Flatman, who missed its entirety, captain Craig Johnston, attacker Robbie Cole, and O'Ware himself, for long periods hit their squad hard.
But O'Ware, in his first managerial role, has said there's plenty he's learned that can stand him in good stead going into his second full season in the dugout.
"I experienced a hell of a lot, and juggling a lot, with all the injuries we had and the situation we were in," he said.
"There was loads to take out of it.
"I'm hoping this year can be a more settled squad, and we can have that foundation from the start of the season, and, hopefully, it leads us into what I hope is going to be a positive campaign.
"We know it's going to be a challenging season. We don't have any guaranteed right to just expect to go back up.
"We need to get our squad in place. It's going to be really difficult. There's going to be some big clubs in League Two and, again, we need a really tough off season, and a good pre-season, and planning, going into that.
"Then, when the league starts, it'll be full focus on that.
"We took time to dissect what had happened. Our attention panned quickly to next season and, again, that's all we've been doing.
"We've been planning, we've been speaking to targets, we've been trying to get bodies in the door."
So far, Kelty have completed the signings of Ryan Shanley, Finn Moffett, Callum Hannah, Jamie Smith, and Connor McManus.
They have, however, lost several players, including Luke McCarvel and Kyle Gourlay, who have signed for Ross County and Brechin City respectively, as well as Brody Paterson, who has joined Championship side Arbroath.
Another of those who departed, Murray Thomas, will return to New Central Park next term as a Stirling Albion player.
The 22-year-old, who made 71 appearances in two seasons with the club, has agreed to join Steven Whittaker's Binos, who will be one of Kelty's League Two rivals in the upcoming season.
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