DAVID Flitcroft is not surprised at how the League Two table is shaping up and admits Swindon Town are playing catch-up to some of the division’s pace setters.

Flitcroft has only been in charge at the Energy Check County Ground since the summer after taking over in the wake of Town’s relegation from League One.

The ambition for Swindon this season is to win promotion back to the third tier at the first attempt, and they have made a positive start in that regard and sit eighth in the table after 13 games.

Flitcroft concedes it takes time for a new manager to fully implement a philosophy at a club, which is why he is fully understands why the division looks as it does at present.

Kevin Nolan took over at league leaders Notts County just after the turn of the year, while the rest of the top five teams in the standings have managers who have held their position for a least 12 months.

Flitcroft accepts that the Town squad cannot fast track their learning under him, although he is pleased with how well they have adapted so far.

“A successful campaign is over 46 games, it always will be,” said Flitcroft.

“We are very young into this. We played Mansfield on Saturday and I think Steve Evans has been there more than six months now, Gareth Ainsworth has been at Wycombe for four or five years and Nathan Jones at Luton for two or three years.

“These lads who are potentially in front of us have been doing what they do for a long time in this league – just look at Exeter and Paul Tisdale.

“When Kevin Nolan came in at Notts County at the start of this year, he sussed the league out and had six months to implement a structure, a strategy and an environment.

“There are a lot of teams that have got a march on us with players and with tactics.

“We are going to have to microwave this process but this group of players and staff will continue to try to do that.”