Ray Lewington admits that survival will be the first priority again for Crystal Palace next season.
The Eagles finished 12th in the Premier League after a 5-3 win against Bournemouth on the final day last weekend, with Roy Hodgson's side amassing a club record amount of points in the top flight for a 38-game season.
A good run of form towards the end of the season lifted Palace into a comfortable mid-table position, 15 points above the bottom three, having been hovering above the relegation zone and looking over their shoulders at times during the campaign.
But Hodgson's assistant has warned that it is likely to be more of the same for Palace next season, adding that for any club in their position, safety has to be the first aim going into any season.
"It’ll be the same thing. It’ll be first and foremost we’ve got to be safe. Secondly, can we get ourselves in mid-table? And thirdly, can we attach ourselves to the top group? All of it is fine lines, it’s all fine lines," he told the club website .
"There are only a few points between being seventh and probably being 10th and then there are a few more points from being 10th and 15th/16th and a few more points sends you down.
"First is survival, second is to move into the middle gap and then when you’re in the middle gap, look up not down and see if you can attach yourself in there.
"The first week of the season, you could have four regular first-teamers out with long-term injuries then you can’t be saying the same thing. You don’t know what’s around the corner so getting your priorities right early on is the most important thing.
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"The most important thing when you go into any season is to ensure you’re still there at the end. Everything after that is a stepping stone which is adjusted as you go through the season."
But reflecting on the campaign as a whole, Lewington feels that Palace fans have plenty to be positive about, adding that he hopes the Eagles will be able to enjoy more of the same next season and give their supporters plenty to cheer.
"In general, forget the position for a minute, we hope that we’re playing the type of football that people like to watch," he said.
"I think where we sit, we’re a very honest side, I think we’re a very exciting side. We can be frustrating, we know that but I never come off the pitch thinking that the players have cheated us.
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"I think that when we play bad, that’s because that’s what human beings do occasionally. As a team, they play badly and sometimes you can’t put a finger on it. I would hope that this time next year, we’re looking back saying very much what we’re saying this year: that we’ve worked really hard, that the players have worked really hard, we’ve played exciting football, we’ve scored a few good goals and hopefully from all that, the position is better than this year. You don’t know but that’s our aim, that’s what we’re looking for."
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