YORK City Knights boss Richard Agar will carry a very simple aim through his debut season at Huntington Stadium - to win the next match.

The 32-year-old Agar, who took over the reins a week after ex-boss Paul Broadbent announced his retirement in September, refused to make predictions or bold statements about the season ahead.

Indeed, he has refused to play up - or down - talk of the Knights being favourites for the National League Two title, and instead professed the simple philosophy of concentrating on the next game.

"Our realistic goal is to win our next match," said the former Widnes, Dewsbury, Rochdale and Featherstone star. "That might sound boring and clichd but I'm not a big believer in looking beyond your next outing.

"You've got to have one eye glancing a bit further forward and recognise where you will be at and what other people are doing, but my personal view is you shouldn't look beyond that next game otherwise you might get bitten on the backside."

As for the Knights' chances of success, he said: "I feel we're ready for the season. There are all sorts being written and some people are pushing favourites tags, and people are going to put us up there because of the nature and quality of the signings we've made."

"But I find that exciting to be honest and it throws another challenge to the players.

"I won't go around waving a banner and starting a mass stampede saying we're going to do this or that, but I won't play down our chances or insult anyone's intelligence by saying we might do well or we might not.

"I believe the squad is good enough to win promotion. However, there are a lot of external factors which we can't control which could come into it, such as injuries, refereeing calls, losing players for whatever reason, and there are a lot of things that can affect you throughout the season. You always need that bit of luck and the occasional bounce of the ball.

"But how we manage it and how we face the challenge is down to us."

This year is Agar's first as a head coach at this level after his playing days - as an influential half-back who was instrumental in Premiership play-off victories for Widnes and Dewsbury - came to a close last season.

However, he has already had experience, and success, as a boss.

He led England Students to their 2001 European Champion-ship title in Russia, and he took amateur club Featherstone Lions from the bottom of division one in the Arriva Trains Conference up to the premier division.

He was also assistant to Andy Kelly at Featherstone Rovers for over a year while a player at Post Office Road - and indeed was tipped to replace Kelly in the top job there before deciding to join the Knights' crusade.

When he first came to York, Agar - son of former York player and now Featherstone Rovers chief executive Alan - said he had entered in ideal circumstances, and that view has only been compounded since then.

"I feel very fortunate to be at this club at this point in time," he said. "I would like it to be a long stay. That would depend on how we do but I'm up for the challenge and I will work hard and give it my best shot.

"I've got very good support around me from Steve Ferres (chief executive), John Guildford (majority shareholder) and Roger Dixon (chairman), and from the coaching staff, the senior players and all the players. It's a team effort."

As for his own personal goals, apart from winning trophies, he said: "I would like to keep improving us as a team.

"I'd like to harness a good spirit so the players go home thinking they've learnt something, achieved something and have enjoyed it.

"If they are happy to come to the place then we won't go far wrong."