Whitstable Town manager Lloyd Blackman admits he won’t set any targets when it comes to his side’s league position or points tally this season.

The Oystermen start the Isthmian South East season on the back of changes to the board and Blackman’s appointment as successor to Scott Porter.

They begin their campaign with two derbies, at home to Sittingbourne before visiting Hythe Town on Tuesday evening.

“I don’t do that (set targets),” said Blackman. “I think the targets we set are set purely in the four walls of the changing rooms.

“We do realise this is a process, there has been a change in management as well as with the board and the club is in a new chapter so to speak.

“We’re just looking to ensure that any targets on the football side we’re going to approach in a pragmatic way.”

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Whitstable registered three wins, a draw and four defeats across what was designed to be a testing pre-season.

Blackman added: “Everything has gone as well as we could have hoped. It was always going to be a busy summer for ourselves with the changes that have been implemented but we’re pleased with where we are.

“There’s always going to be new and fresh ideas and it’s always going to take time to implement those. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

“We’ve had a tough pre-season deliberately so we can identify the areas we need to work on and develop and I’ve been pleased with how the players have bought into that.”

The introduction of several new faces has provided Blackman with food for thought in regards to team selection.

“The last couple of weeks as well with the addition of TJ (Tijan Jadama) and Aaron Millbank have been very pleasing,” he said.

“I’m obviously pleased with how everything is coming along with the boys we recruited earlier in the summer.

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“Players were joking that they wouldn’t want to be in my shoes but that’s the nature of the business and competition for places is healthy.”

Harry Stannard is set to be Whitstable’s only absentee at the weekend as he continues to nurse a groin problem.

Whitstable have been drawn at home to Southern Combination League Premier Division side Newhaven in the preliminary round of the FA Cup, the tie to be played on Saturday week (August 24).

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