Stevie Farrell hopes the feel-good factor around Dumbarton will rub off on his new squad.
The Sons return to pre-season training this weekend (June 12) just 23 days after the 2020/21 campaign ended – but with an almost entirely new squad, new owners and a new manager at the helm, Faz is hopeful of a new beginning for the Sons after a season battling relegation.
He said: “This is a fantastic club with a great structure. It’s now an exciting new beginning with new owners and the board, and everyone has a vision.
“I think when you come back to speak to any club that you’ve been at before where you enjoyed your time, then that’s a good starting position to be in.
“When I spoke to the guys at the club we shared the same vision of where we wanted to go.
“Our ambitions in terms of footballing ambitions, personal ambitions and the club’s ambitions all aligned in terms of where we would like to move towards.
“It was an easy decision in the end and one that I’m glad we got over the line.
“I think it’s the natural step up for me coming to Dumbarton.
“I think there’s a feel-good factor and we’ve got to make sure we create that within the playing staff as well so it’s in the full environment of the football club.”
After three seasons looking over their shoulders, Farrell is now aiming to finally give Sons fans something to cheer about – as he targets a first top-half finish since 2014.
He continued: “First and foremost we need to make sure that we consolidate our position in League One.
“I have to say that Jim Duffy is a fantastic manager who did a fantastic job to leave the club in League One, which is a fantastic start for us.
“But it’s now about consolidating and building upon that for the next year to two years. There is no reason why this club can’t be competitive in League One.
“We need to make sure that we recruit properly and attract the right players to the club, but in terms of the size, the structure, the location, everything is set for us to bring players to this club who we believe can develop it and improve it over the next year or two.”
And having been busy on the recruitment front in his first fortnight as Sons’ gaffer, Farrell hasn't been phased by the tight time limits.
The gaffer added midfielder Joe McKee, winger Ross MacLean and defender Edin Lynch to his squad on Thursday, with all three players inking two year deals.
They were joined by forward David Hopkirk and veteran midfielder Paul Paton, who both joined on season long contracts.
Farrell continued: “Will we have all the players in place for this Saturday and the beginning of pre-season? No we won’t. But we wouldn’t have done at Stranraer.
“As a management team we try and get the nucleus in for the first day of pre-season with the scope to add to that via the loan market or other players who may become available later in the transfer window.
“It’s a new beginning for Dumbarton and we’ve got to look for players to build a squad who will make sure we are competitive in this league.
“It’s important to have the right sort of individual as well as player.
“I fell out with an agent last week because it was the second conversation I’d had with him where he’d asked me ‘how much’?
“I always have a real concern when the first thing a player talks about is money. Because that shows that the first two things I’ve spoken about aren’t important to them.
“Ultimately, when I put that jigsaw together in the dressing room the players all need to be the right type to ensure we have a good team spirit.
“Spirit is still a big part of football. It’s not always about ability. Sometimes spirit can get you over the line and we’ve got to make sure we have the right spirit in that changing room. We need the right personalities as well as the right footballers in the club.
“It’s a challenge, the time parameters are tight, but that’s not something that phases me. It’s not something we haven’t done before.”
