Ross County manager Derek Adams is naturally aiming for a better start to the Scottish Premiership campaign than usual - but recent experience has shown him there is no need to panic if it fails to materialise.
County open their season against St Johnstone in Dingwall on Sunday, with Adams again having reshaped his squad with 10 new signings, including the likes of former Cliftonville striker Liam Boyce and former Dunfermline winger Joe Cardle.
County have generally struggled in the opening halves of their two seasons in the top flight before some January reinforcements helped them finish strongly to secure fifth and seventh places.
And Adams is relaxed enough about the coming campaign to know there is no need for snap judgements.
Adams said: "Players took a wee bit of time to adjust last season and some who had been here didn't start the season very well. That combined meant we didn't start that well.
"Whoever starts well gets confidence and that puts them on a good run. You always want to do that.
"Partick Thistle got 20 points on board very early last season but they finished in 10th place. It doesn't mean that if you start well you also finish well.
"It's over the course of the season that you are judged, not the start, not the middle, it's throughout the 36 games."
County continued building their squad this week with more new arrivals, as well as the re-signing of Cardiff midfielder Filip Kiss on loan and the return of Graham Carey.
Adams said: "We have always been able to put teams on the park that are exciting.
"We have obviously changed the teams several times and we have had to do that. We have recruited exceptionally well over a period of time.
"There are ones that do well and ones that are good squad players but that's just the nature of the business, not everybody can play.
"You need a good squad and we have got that.
"We've got 11 players that were with us last season and 10 players that have come in.
"Of the 10 signings, we have a mix of youth, experience and players who are hungry to prove a point as well."
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