Anthony Johnson says he still can't quite believe he and Bernard Morley are in charge of Chester FC .
Johnson and Morley, National League North winners with Salford City last month, were named as the men to lead Chester forward next season after being appointed in May on two-year deals.
But as soon as they were appointed Johnson was off on a two-week holiday to Florida with his wife and three children, with Morley getting to work on starting to shape the Chester side for next season in his absence.
"I go away to Florida every year and I always look forward to going, but this year I was a bit gutted as I just wanted to get to it and get started at Chester," said Johnson.
"It wasn't great timing for Bern but he has absolutely flown at it and got so much done. I was constantly texting him and on WhatsApp - my wife wasn't best pleased and told me to get rid of my phone!
"But it was a hard season for us at Salford, one where we just had to win the league, no ifs or buts. That puts a lot of pressure on you and it takes its toll. It was a tough season for us and the players.
"When we left Salford we were being linked with a few jobs and couldn't believe it when we had a shot at the Chester job. People say that me and Bern were some kind of a coup for Chester but it is the other way round. I am Bury fan and Chester were always as big if not bigger down the years. They are a massive club with a big fan base and it is a club that needs to be rejuvenated and for fans to enjoy coming again. That is what our aim is.
"Chester got relegated with an average crowd of 1,800 odd. That's mad. Someone shared a picture of them at Barnsley in the FA Cup and there were a couple of thousand there - insane support. This is a football club with a lot of history."
Johnson says he and Morley will be ensuring that they have the right characters for next season, one where they are targeting a play-off spot.
And while a tight budget will mean Chester won't have the spending power Salford did, Johnson is backing himself and Morley to get their recruitment right.
"Winning becomes a habit, and so does losing. You have to have a winning mentality in your squad and lads who know what that is like and have those standards," he said.
"Paying the best money doesn't guarantee you the best players. You need to trust the lads you have out there, and those lads need to trust everyone around them and all go into battle together. It's the only way you will get results.
"We could cop out and say that we will be mid-table and try and dampen some expectations of fans, but if you do that then you will fail. By telling people that mediocrity is ok then that is what you will get. We want winners here."
And someone who fits that bill for Johnson and Morley is midfielder Gary Roberts.
The 31-year-old has been offered fresh terms by the duo and it is hoped that a deal can be concluded.
"Gary Roberts is a winner. He gets it and he is one of those players that does it for the shirt and for what it represents," said Johnson.
"He is someone with undoubted quality and someone who is the right kind of character we are looking for. Hopefully we can get something done with regards to that.
"It might sound old school, and I hate that saying, but you need lads like that. You can do all the so-called modern methods of coaching you want but if you don't have players with heart then forget it. I hate the expression old school, it should be the now school. That is what we are working on.
"There haven't been any signings yet, and that sometimes worries people, but we want the right people for this football club and we have to bide our time.
"This is a project for me and Bern and one we are so excited about. It's all we can think about. We don't want to fill peoples heads with grand plans and saying we will be in the Football League in a couple of seasons. That stuff is nonsense, what will be will be. What we will be is competitive and giving it a right good go, and if that takes us on a great journey then brilliant. It will be a rollercoaster but it will be exciting. Hopefully the fans buy into what we are all about."
