KEVIN MacDonald has accepted that the new streamlined budget at Swindon Town will make putting together a successful side “harder work” for him, but the Robins’ manager is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

MacDonald’s side lost out on penalties in the League One play-offs seven days ago and have since released four key members of their 2012/13 squad, including fans’ favourite Simon Ferry, as a 50 per cent reduction in the footballing budget at the club is implemented over the summer.

Further player departures are possible over the next two months, should the price be right for the players in question and the club, as Town wind down to a footballing allowance of around £2.4million – which is believed to include backroom salaries.

Comparatively it is not a meagre budget among other clubs in League One, with Yeovil having made the play-off final on what is believed to be around a £1million warchest while Tranmere held top spot in the division for much of the season for around £800,000 – however, the reductions will do little to make MacDonald’s life any easier.

Despite that, he is determined to work through the obstacles ahead to put together an entertaining side capable of pushing for the top six places next term.

Looking back on the disappointing end to Swindon’s campaign, he told the Advertiser: “I know that the results haven’t been as great as we’ve wanted them to be, but I think to say we should have had automatic promotion is a little bit of an easy statement to make, because it’s not easy to get automatic promotion.

“Some of the games we played the way I wanted to play and some of them we didn’t play the way I wanted to play, and some of that was down to circumstances and players that were available, those sort of things.

“So there is work to be done. But now with the changes that are being made, it’s probably going to be harder work for me, but that’s why I want the job.

“The fans are desperate to get success but nobody’s more desperate to get success than I am. I was successful as a player and I’ve been successful as a coach.”