Joey Barton admits he feels a sense of dissatisfaction despite a "solid season" for Bristol Rovers, but he believes he and his players have learned plenty to take into next year – as he looks to make a fast start in the transfer market.
Rovers are 16th in League One in their first season back at the level with one game to play. Play-off-bound Bolton Wanderers are the visitors to the Mem on Sunday and Barton wants the Gas to go out on a high, but he has had an eye on next season since they secured their third-tier status last month.
A campaign of consolidation means mission accomplished for Rovers this year after two chaotic seasons with relegation followed by promotion, and although the manager is pleased to have avoided relegation danger by a healthy margin, he wants much from his team when they kick-off the new season in August.
And he believes he has learned a lot from the experience that he will put into action in the summer.
"This season, because you’re not challenging, it can feel like a failure and I haven’t got any trophies or anything to put on the board and the history books, after this game, will write down the numbers and it’s not a season you will look back on, I imagine, but it’s a solid season," he said.
"You’re always learning and there is a lot we’ve learned this year. From our perspective, the club is truly in a better place than when I found it.
"When I found it, it was about to go out of the division and it was in a negative slide. Getting promoted last year was a step in the right direction, but it was only an important step if we consolidated this year, which we’ve done.
"But I’m not happy we’ve lost 20 games this year or something like that and some of the teams we’ve lost to and the way we’ve lost them are always going to drive you potty.
"But you have to be mindful of all the good stuff that’s happened and the fact we haven’t looked over our shoulders, really, at any point this season. We’ve got a really young group and that could have been a helluva lot different.
"The alternative to not fighting for promotion is you have got something to play for because you are fighting relegation, but I’ve been involved in a few of them and I’d much prefer to peter into mid-table obscurity because there is nothing worse. People lose their jobs and it can really set football clubs back when you do slip out of the division.
"Yeah, we do want to get promoted and we’re optimistic and ambitious, but you can’t run before you can walk in this game and it’s an important junction for us because we’ve got to get better and kick on.
"It’s my job to lead the group and we get the game out of the way on Sunday and we’re already on with next year anyway, but it really kicks into gear at about 2.45pm when you’ve had a beer and you start thinking about next year.
"From our perspective, we won’t be resting on our laurels. I don’t want to be in League One for any amount of time. The quicker I can get out of it, the better, and I think I speak for every Gashead when I say that.
"But there are some big clubs in here and we’re going to have to get better and in the midst of that, you’ve got to be careful you don’t regress. In the aim of trying to improve sometimes, you can lose some key components and get worse and we must ensure we don’t do that."
A busy summer awaits at the Mem due to the unavoidable high turnover of players after relying on the loans system. Lewis Gibson, Jarell Quansah, Lamare Bogarde, Josh Coburn and Ellery Balcombe all return to their parent clubs, and there are also a handful of senior players out of contract including Paul Coutts, Grant Ward and Harry Anderson.
He believes some players under contract could also leave the club this summer.
Barton is intent on upgrading his ranks and has identified a need for "nous and experience" in his squad, and he hopes to make early inroads in the transfer market once the final game of the season is in the books.
"We want to get a core of our group for next season with us as early as we can," he said. "We want to get a lot of business done as early as we can so we can hit the ground running next season.
"From our perspective, that includes losing some people as well. There is an organic cull to the group with loans going back and people being out of contract, and I think there are some lads who are in contract that this will probably be the stop for them, this will be the junction."
While Barton heads into the summer frustrated that Rovers' season has petered out into a bottom-half finish, he has paid tribute to the efforts of his players, saying their application on the pitch has been unquestionable.
"I’ve told the lads they have been superb and I can’t fault them," Barton said. "They give everything they have got every week and sometimes it can be frustrating and they make little errors and mistakes that can amount to chances and goals going against your team, but it’s always from the right place with them.
"They are a superb group and I can’t fault them this year. Yeah, we could have been better in moments, but it hasn’t been for a lack of effort or caring on the players’ behalf.
"They care about the fanbase, they care about playing for the football club and I think you’ve seen in 45 games this season, whenever they pull on the quartered jersey they give it a right go and give it their best.
"We all want to be perfect, but all you can as is they give it their all and our players this season have been superb.
"It’s important we finish with a really good performance and, hopefully, a good result at our place on Sunday."
As for Barton's plans come Monday morning, there will be a brief break to get in a few rounds on the golf course – he is a member at Loch Lomond in Scotland – but he will soon be back to work, completing his Uefa Pro Licence.
And, of course, he will always have his phone to hand to keep tabs on events at the Mem.
"I’m going away golfing for a few days and then I’ve got to come back and start my pro licence out in Northern Ireland," he added.
"I’m just after getting better, I’m not happy with this season and I think we can be miles better. We’ve got to kick on and get better.
"You don’t get an off-season, it doesn’t exist. You wish you did but the phone is going and you’re working from home. You get a little bit more downtime to see the missus and kids, but you are filling half-term and holidays with meeting players and going down to the training ground to make sure things are moving on.
"If we want to get better next year, the work starts the moment the final whistle is blown in the Bolton game. Work will start for the group next season and we’ve got a lot of work to do if we want to be successful."
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