Johnstone Burgh boss Jamie McKim has revealed he is already planning ahead for next season’s tilt at the West Region League Two title.

Burgh have been unable to find any consistency this season with a stop-start fixture list seeing them fall down to 10th place in the table.

McKim, who has never hidden the fact that he believes his side should be up there challenging, has spoken of his anger at the recent form, even going going as far as threatening to cut his squad.

And with the season coming to a close, the gaffer has admitted he now has one eye on the 2019/20 campaign.

He said: “Regardless of our results at this stage of the season, whether we were challenging for promotion or battling against relegation, I was always going to be looking ahead to next season to consolidate and build on what we have. You can’t get to the summer and bring in boys you don’t know much about.”

While there hasn’t been a lot of success on the pitch for Burgh, McKim is adamant that this season, his first full season as a manager at this level, has been a steep learning curve that he will be able to take a lot away from.

He continued: “It’s my first full season as a manager at this level and I’m definitely learning a lot. At the same time, I believe I have improved a lot over the season. 

READ MORE: Jamie McKim warns side they are playing for their futures

“One of the big things I’ll take away from this season is the experience of the players needed in these leagues. I went for a lot of talented younger players who were flying at the start of the season. We started the season really well in the Sectional League Cup and put together some good results in the league, we’ve just fallen away a bit since then. 

“That’s where the experience comes in. We have been missing the experience, aggression and grit that older players can bring to the squad. We’ve learned from that and it’s something we’re already looking at fixing for next season. I’m not one to sit on my hands when things are going wrong.”

Consistency is key for McKim as he looks ahead to the final six games of the season, urging his side to lay down an early marker for next season.

He added: “We have been so inconsistent. We’ve not had the chance to get into a rhythm really due to games being postponed - or even being called-off just one minute after kick-off. 

READ MORE: Burgh boss McKim gearing up for clear out after heavy defeat

“A lot of people will be looking at our last few results and thinking ‘what’s going on over there at Burgh?’. We need to come back strong, make a statement and show people we are a good side. We need to push on now and start to make those improvements while also looking ahead to next season.”