SWINDON Town manager David Flitcroft feels the recent dismissals of his counterparts at Chesterfield and Port Vale proves just how crucial it was for the club to not allow the disappointment of last season’s relegation to linger.

Both the Spireites and Valiants dropped down to League Two alongside Swindon last term but unlike Town, they have failed to bounce back at the start of the new campaign.

They currently find themselves in the bottom two in the table after eight games, resulting in Gary Caldwell and Michael Brown leaving their posts at Chesterfield and Vale respectively last weekend.

Unlike those two, Flitcroft was not at the helm for last season’s relegation and arrived at Town to replace outgoing boss Luke Williams over the summer.

That brought in a fresh impetus at the County Ground and Flitcroft believes a positive reaction to disappointment throughout the club has allowed Swindon to shake off any sombre atmosphere.

“That mentality is hard to shift, the negativity that relegation brings, that unwanted record of losing games and there is carry-over, there always is,” said Flitcroft, who takes his side to Forest Green Rovers this evening.

“Momentum can go both ways. When you get promoted, momentum is good, but negative momentum can lead to what’s happened at those two clubs.

“It was a bit different for me as I didn’t carry that over. I came in as a new manager with different ideas but that’s had its issues as well in terms of getting everyone on the same page.

“We have had that wrestle from last season but the new players have helped with that because again, they don’t carry over that baggage.

“From the way I have been supported here and the way I have met people in the town, they want this club to do well.

“There is an energy behind the club and I have thrived off that and got great enthusiasm off the back of that.

“The chairman has passion for this club and wants to win and it’s got to become a club that understands winning at every level.

“Winning means everything you do has to be pristine and we are trying to get that and do the right things at the club.

“Swindon has got to become a club that wins football matches and that’s what we are trying to do.”

Flitcroft has great sympathy for both Caldwell and Brown and concedes their departures less than two months into the season shows the pressure all managers are under to succeed.

“What I can definitely say about Gary Caldwell and Michael Brown is that these guys have tried to do everything to win football matches,” said Flitcroft.

“Everyone wants instant success and every manager has to carry that burden.”