Jamie Day is realistic about his new team's chances next season, but said he would love to lead Braintree Town to another finish in the Vanarama National League play-offs.

Day took over as Iron boss last weekend as successor to Danny Cowley and is busy making plans for his first season in charge.

He knows it will be tough to replicate what the team achieved last year in finishing third in the division and while he is targeting another top-five finish he realises that keeping his squad together now could be key to that.

Day said achieving success next season would be made tougher if he lost a significant number of players from last year's squad so he was working hard to try to keep them on board.

He said: "There may be pressure because what Danny did last year was fantastic.

"It's similar to Leicester City and what they have achieved (in the Premier League).

"There might be an expectation that we need to be around that place again next year, but I think you also need to be realistic.

"I'd love to finish in the play-offs again but we need to see what boys stay.

"I think that will have an impact on where we go next year.

"Obviously if we lose a lot of players and we have to rebuild, then that could be changed.

"But if we don't then the players we have got have shown they're capable of getting in the play-offs.

"First and foremost, it's staying in the league, but for us, it's a case of - if the boys do stay - then knowing we have a group who can get in the play-offs.

"If we don't have that group then it might take a little bit of time to rebuild and we'll have to make sure the boys get to know each other, so it might take a little bit longer."