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Neil Lennon wants to build on the home comforts he has enjoyed since taking charge at Wanderers.
Only two other clubs in the Football League – Blackpool and Mansfield Town – earned a higher percentage of their points on home soil this season.
Defeat against Birmingham City on the final day was only the third inflicted against Lennon since he walked through the doors of the Macron Stadium.
But the general disappointment felt around the ground last weekend was a sad note on which to end a campaign, especially after the manager's efforts to bridge a gap between the club and its fans.
Considering the protests and vitriol before his arrival, one of Lennon’s biggest achievements has been to get the terraces united again.
As Wanderers’ figurehead in difficult times, the supporters have rallied behind him.
But Lennon knows the job has only just begun.
“We have rebuilding to do but it won’t happen overnight,” he said. “What has struck me since being here is that people have tremendous pride in the town, and the club is a huge part of that.
“It’s a community club and we’ve made strides in trying to get the fans involved and feel connected to the club again.
“It’s traditionally one of the great old English teams and we want to be a part of that history going forward.
“Fans have stayed with us through some bad times this season. Our home form has been excellent and that support has played a huge part in staying up this year.
“I played here myself in the late nineties and I know what the atmosphere can be like when it gets going. I want to tap into that.”
Lennon spoke earlier this week about making an early statement in the transfer market, which could give supporters a reason to return to the Macron Stadium next season.
Fans long to see the likes of Ben Amos or Adam Le Fondre return on a permanent basis, yet finances continue to be a prohibitive factor.
Zach Clough, Josh Vela and Max Clayton have give a much-needed sprinkling of youth to the first-team ranks – another major positive to take from an indifferent campaign.
And the manager believes that if he adds the right kind of characters to that youthful core of players in his squad, next season will not be spent looking anxiously towards the bottom three.
“I know the potential is here,” he said. “It’s up to me to find the right recipe to make things right on the pitch and get us back up there again.
“There are some good, young players who have come through this season but the recruitment from here is very important.
“It’s such an important part of a manager’s job nowadays. If we can get it right, I think we can be dark horses next season.
“We’ll be aiming for top 10 – anything on top of that is a bonus.”
Since talk of a play-off charge vanished in February, Wanderers' season has withered on the vine.
It is not a situation that Lennon has been accustomed to during some trophy-laden years at Celtic.
“At this stage of the season it was league titles and cup finals,” he said.
“I think the win at Cardiff more or less cemented our place in the Championship and from there we knew it was a case of building for next season.”
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Only two other clubs in the Football League – Blackpool and Mansfield Town – earned a higher percentage of their points on home soil this season.
Defeat against Birmingham City on the final day was only the third inflicted against Lennon since he walked through the doors of the Macron Stadium.
But the general disappointment felt around the ground last weekend was a sad note on which to end a campaign, especially after the manager's efforts to bridge a gap between the club and its fans.
Considering the protests and vitriol before his arrival, one of Lennon’s biggest achievements has been to get the terraces united again.
As Wanderers’ figurehead in difficult times, the supporters have rallied behind him.
But Lennon knows the job has only just begun.
“We have rebuilding to do but it won’t happen overnight,” he said. “What has struck me since being here is that people have tremendous pride in the town, and the club is a huge part of that.
“It’s a community club and we’ve made strides in trying to get the fans involved and feel connected to the club again.
“It’s traditionally one of the great old English teams and we want to be a part of that history going forward.
“Fans have stayed with us through some bad times this season. Our home form has been excellent and that support has played a huge part in staying up this year.
“I played here myself in the late nineties and I know what the atmosphere can be like when it gets going. I want to tap into that.”
Lennon spoke earlier this week about making an early statement in the transfer market, which could give supporters a reason to return to the Macron Stadium next season.
Fans long to see the likes of Ben Amos or Adam Le Fondre return on a permanent basis, yet finances continue to be a prohibitive factor.
Zach Clough, Josh Vela and Max Clayton have give a much-needed sprinkling of youth to the first-team ranks – another major positive to take from an indifferent campaign.
And the manager believes that if he adds the right kind of characters to that youthful core of players in his squad, next season will not be spent looking anxiously towards the bottom three.
“I know the potential is here,” he said. “It’s up to me to find the right recipe to make things right on the pitch and get us back up there again.
“There are some good, young players who have come through this season but the recruitment from here is very important.
“It’s such an important part of a manager’s job nowadays. If we can get it right, I think we can be dark horses next season.
“We’ll be aiming for top 10 – anything on top of that is a bonus.”
Since talk of a play-off charge vanished in February, Wanderers' season has withered on the vine.
It is not a situation that Lennon has been accustomed to during some trophy-laden years at Celtic.
“At this stage of the season it was league titles and cup finals,” he said.
“I think the win at Cardiff more or less cemented our place in the Championship and from there we knew it was a case of building for next season.”
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