Braintree Town chairman Lee Harding said Jamie Day would be given the same time and opportunity as his predecessors to instil his values on the Iron squad after becoming the club's new first-team manager.

Day was appointed last weekend following the departure of Danny Cowley to Lincoln City and arrived at the club with an impressive track record of success at National League level.

However, Harding said he and the Iron's board recognised that it may take time to build the squad that he wanted and he would be afforded similar scope to do that as previous bosses Cowley and Alan Devonshire had had.

Harding said the fact that Braintree finished third in the Vanarama National League last season would place no extra pressure on Day and survival at that level would be his primary target - as had been the case for his predecessors.

"We don't pretend to be anything that we're not," said Harding.

"We are in a situation whereby we have found a way to compete in this league.

"There are clubs spending considerably more money on their players but the fact that we continue to operate on a part-time basis that allows players the chance to generate themselves additional income during the day and train and play in the evenings and at weekends, is working and has proved to be working.

"That's shown by the fact that, apart from the season where things dipped a little bit when Alan Devonshire was set to go to Maidenhead, it has been 12th, ninth, sixth and now third that we've finished in the table.

"So I think we as a club have shown we can compete, however, I think for the majority of clubs in this division, the priority is to make sure you're there for the next season.

"So that will be the first thing that we focus on and in the same way that we were fair to Devs and Danny and Nicky Cowley, we will be to Jamie.

"It's a new man coming in and it does take time to instil their ideas on the squad.

"It does take time to bring in the sort of players they believe can take us forward.

"So there isn't a pressure, just as there wasn't on his predecessors, to be top by Christmas and champions by Easter.

"There is on other clubs as they are spending money and they think that gives them a pre-determined right, but we're just hoping to be competitive and enjoy it.

"Part of enjoying it is winning but we are very impressed by Jamie.

"I think he fitted very well with how we do things here."