As Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell heads towards his third anniversary as Grecians' boss, he could well be embarking on his most challenging yet.
Finances have been tight at St James Park over the summer, and with no saleable assets that immediately appear to look as though they could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ollie Watkins and Ethan Ampadu, which has led to some questioning whether their Supporter's Trust model has reached the end of its life span.
The club's run of playing academy products in 479 consecutive products came to an end last August, but there are signs a new crop could be ready to emerge. Nevertheless, while they will need to prove that they can deal with the rigours of League One football, the Grecians have always been patient when it comes to developing young players.
However, Caldwell has been active in the loan market, bringing goalkeeper Joe Whitworth back to the club on loan from Crystal Palace and has also acquired Ryan Rydel from Stockport County, Ethan Brierley from Brentford and Sil Swinkels from Aston Villa.
Older heads such as returning Kevin McDonald and Pierce Sweeney, who celebrated his testimonial against Swansea City in pre-season, could also prove to be important figures within the dressing room.
From the outside, survival appears to be City's first priority. However, Caldwell will be hoping for more as they aim to extend what has been one of their longest post-war spells in the third tier since they won promotion in 2021-22.
Player to Watch: Jayden Wareham
If the Grecians are going to retain their League One status, then scoring goals will be crucial and former Chelsea youngster Jayden Wareham could be the player to do just that.
He will also wearing the number nine shirt, which was famously retired following the untimely death of Adam Stansfield with the blessing of Stansfield's family.
In: Johnly Yfeko (Rangers), Ethan Brierley (Brentford, loan), Ryan Rydel (Stockport County, loan), Joe Whitworth (Crystal Palace, loan), Sil Swinkels (Aston Villa, loan), Jack Bycroft (Southampton), Jayden Wareham (Reading)
Out: Jake Richards (Luton Town), Caleb Watts (Plymouth Argyle), Ben Purrington (Cambridge United), Demetri Mitchell (Leyton Orient), Vincent Harper (Walsall), Cheick Diabate (St Johnstone), Jay Bird (Salford City), Ryan Woods (Oldham Athletic), Mitch Beardmore (Bath City), Shaun MacDonald, Sonny Lee
