It's a new-look Ebbsfleet side that take to the field on Saturday - and a new-look club off the pitch, too.

Manager Danny Searle has been keen to make his mark as the Fleet look to establish themselves in the National League.

The introduction of an open training session for fans, followed by a meet and greet with supporters, has been backed up by off-the-field changes which the Fleet hope will raise their levels.

"You're inheriting a group of players and it's really difficult to talk about things like that without sounding like you're criticising previous regimes or how it used to be. It's not about that," explained Searle.

"It's a different mindset, a different environment and a different culture. There's certain things that are valuable to me, my core principles and how I want our dressing room and the club to be. that will be different to another manager. People will argue until the cows come home about who is right or wrong.

"For me, there were things that needed to be addressed and dealt with and I feel we've done that. It was difficult for me to do that last year as I felt we were fighting fires and we needed to get everyone on side as quickly as we could.

"We did that as we were basically doomed by outside people and we managed to survive. Obviously, I get credit for that but it wasn't just about me, there was a massive team effort with the staff, players, backroom staff, Damian (Irvine, chief executive) and the owner.

"We came together and we need to keep that togetherness, adding the bits of professionalism that I believe we need to be better. We've got a new medical room, a new changing room, our analysis team is different, we've changed the staff and got different people in who I believe are trying to enhance what we're trying to do.

"Results are the guiding factor but we believe we're in a much stronger position than when the season finished last year."

Searle has certainly demonstrated a clear mindset since joining the club.

He's making sure that everything is in place to ensure that they provide the best possible environment for the players to succeed.

"For me it's about no excuses, there can't be excuses," stated the Fleet boss. "If something has not been right because something we can control has happened and we've not done it properly then that's a problem.

"If we control what we can control, which is the environment, how we provide food, the training, how we travel to games, how the dressing room is set up, the kit man, whatever - we need to be spot on with those.

"Will we make mistakes? Of course, players make mistakes. We don't set unrealistic goals and it's about making sure that as a group we haven't got any excuses other than sometimes we might be poor."

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It's Searle name above the door and he's happy to have the responsibility from game one this time around.

"That's what you want as a manager," he added. "If it fails then I've got no excuses.

"That's what football is about. if you're given that opportunity to own something then you have to own it. We have to own the fact this year that there will be times when we don't perform very well.

"There's going to be times when we perform unbelievably well and still get beat - look at the Altrincham game at the end of last season, we absolutely battered them and they had three shots at goal including a penalty and we lost 2-0. We accept that - it's going to happen - but it's about how we bounce back and react to it.

"We have to stick to the process, we have to stay together and that's as a club not just the players - supporters, board, volunteers, whoever it is. We did that for 15 games last year and we achieved the perceived impossible so nothing is beyond our reach if we do that."

Ebbsfleet start their National League campaign at Gateshead on Saturday.