Even at this relatively early stage of the 2025-26 season, the Newport County faithful can be forgiven for fearing their club are in for another slog of a campaign.
The appointment of former Manchester United youth coach David Hughes as manager brought a real sense of optimism to Rodney Parade following what was largely a chore of a year under Nelson Jardim last time out.
Some of the club's business in the summer transfer window - including the signings of Wales international Matt Smith, right-back Habeeb Ogunneye from the Red Devils and Leicester City pair Nathan Opoku and Sammy Braybrooke in particular - also helped to raise the excitement levels.
But while a run of six consecutive defeats in all competitions was finally halted last time out at Tranmere, Exiles supporters have been quick to raise concerns over where the club finds itself with just eight league matches played under the new regime.
Newport have won just one of their eight League Two games so far, collecting only five points from a possible 24 at a rate of 0.63 points per game.
At the same stage under Jardim last season, bearing in mind this was a side that finished the campaign one spot above the relegation zone and had undergone a major squad overhaul, Newport had collected 12 of the first 24 points on offer at a rate of 1.5 points per game.
Following the closure of the summer window, chairman Huw Jenkins stated that "the summer changes have allowed our club to reset and move forward with renewed optimism for the long season ahead".
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In fairness to Jardim, he always knew he had been put into post for the short-term and accepted that he was there to facilitate the growth of youngsters and new arrivals.
But the fact that former Swansea City chairman Jenkins stated the club has undergone a "reset" seemed to set some alarm bells ringing among fans given what had been intended to be a year of development under Jardim.
Jenkins went on to add that the current squad are an "extremely talented group" while stating that the group of players now at the club are "collectively much stronger" than those who were at Rodney Parade when he officially took control of the club during the 2023-24 season.
The noise from supporters has not gone unnoticed at the top, with Jenkins saying: "Finally, I understand some frustrations are aired when results don’t go our way.
"But I can assure all supporters of Newport County that the management and players are working tirelessly to get our season moving forward in a positive direction.
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"With a consistent level of performance, I am confident the results will follow."
These words will undoubtedly mean precious little to fans unless they see an improvement on the pitch.
Those in charge of delivering results may well argue that the new-look squad needs sufficient time to gel, particularly given the change in the dugout in the summer.
They also have the youngest average age of any team in the division, further emphasising the need for patience given the youthful look to the squad.
It is hoped that the point gained at Prenton Park - courtesy of striker Courtney Baker-Richardson's first goal of the season in the 87th minute - can be the catalyst for an upturn in fortunes for Hughes' side.
And while Hughes is not getting carried away with one encouraging result, the 47-year-old hopes it can be beneficial when it comes to quickly learning ahead of a tough league schedule that sees them face Gillingham, Chesterfield and Swindon across the next three matches.
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"We've never been really low and downbeat with the results," said the manager.
"The atmosphere amongst the group every day has been outstanding, they've been a joy to work with.
"It's a point, that's it, let's not get too carried away. Let's look at why we got the point and look at what we've got to do next week to push towards getting three points."
