ASSISTANT manager Ben Futcher believes his Swindon Town side have started the season on the right foot.

With a good win on the road at much-fancied Carlisle United followed by a narrow defeat in the Carabao Cup against Championship side Norwich City, it is hard to argue with that.

And it is the approach to games that has impressed Futcher the most early on, with all the players seemingly buying into the new philosophy at the club that he and David Flitcroft have only had two months drill into the team.

“We want them on the front foot, we want a progressive side, we want to move the ball but, out of possession, we want to be aggressive and go and attack teams and try and create chances,” he said.

“I think you’ve seen that in the first two games.

“On the other side of it, when we have got goals or when we have had to, we’ve defended quite well.

“In the first half (on Tuesday), there was a 15-minute spell where we probably just let ourselves down in that area and they got the three goals quite quickly which was disappointing but there is plenty to work on and some fantastic positives to work on.”

Swindon will be assessing the fitness of a few of their recruits ahead of this weekend’s game at home to Exeter City, with Dion Conroy (shoulder), John Goddard (Swollen toe) and Amine Linganzi (unspecified) all missing the mid-week trip to Norfolk, to add to the Donal McDermott and Kyle Knoyle, who missed the opening game of the season.

Striker Luke Norris was forced from Brunton Park early with a dislocated shoulder and underwent a scan on Monday evening.

Futcher said that the diagnosis was a positive one but should 24-year-old not be fit for the weekend, Town’s assistant is confident Harry Smith can continue to impress up top.

“It’s nothing major, it’s popped back in so there is no damage around the joint,” he added.

“It’s just a case of his pain threshold and when he feels he can have the contact then he will be back available.

“(Harry Smith) is excellent.

“He’s an absolute handful. He’s a young lad, it was his first full season last year so he has got a lot to learn, he’s still learning how to use his body, what he’s good at, what he’s not good at so he’ll be fine for us.

“He did a really good job on Tuesday night, the lads are learning how to use him, he’s learning about the players who are supplying him with the service and the longer he is here, the more we use him and the more he’s on the training pitch, the better he will get.”