LIFE on the good ship York City will be no pleasure cruise this season with all hands - from the players to the fans - needed on deck working together.

But York City manager Billy McEwan is confident at the dawn of the new season that a strong team effort will begin a journey to a bright future at KitKat Crescent.

He said: "The first priority is to stop the slide as we did last year - we stopped the team from sliding out of the Conference.

"This year it's a case of turning the ship around and start heading in the right direction."

But it's not going to be easy, with hard work and patience the watchwords of the experienced coach.

He said: "It's not going to be an overnight job - it's going to be a helluva slog.

"All the fans realise the task in hand and they know it's going to be a hard, hard job.

"I have got a lot of young players that need developing and improving but eventually I am sure we will get the results they deserve."

Looking at the team, young seems to be a bit of an understatement. Mark Hotte at 26 is the oldest, with the entire squad in their late teens and early 20s.

"We're sponsored by Mothercare this season," joked McEwan. "The average age of this team is 22, which is really, really young. You show me another Conference team that is as young as that.

"It excites me because I know I can work with them morning and afternoon if I need to because they have got that extra energy and they're not getting tired."

After three managers last term, the number one priority will be to inject some stability into the club.

And that starts with McEwan's very own team, assembled after weeks of trials and negotiations.

What can the fans expect? "Any team of mine that takes the pitch will give absolute maximum effort. If they don't give that, they won't be in the team.

"We are going to aim to play passing football. We want to play football and not just kick it down the pitch, although sometimes you have to play it a little bit more direct depending on the opposition or the players you have available.

"The fans who made it to see the Sheffield Wednesday friendly will have seen the kind of thing we are aiming towards.

"We want to bring on as many players as we can and if we draw or lose a couple of games along the way, it's not the end of the world.

"They have got to give 100 per cent and the fans have got to try to give 100 per cent back. They need to be patient and get with us. The young boys will make mistakes but they will learn from them."

With so much to come, there is no knowing what the waters ahead hold. But McEwan has hope and confidence in City's chances.

"I am positive," he concluded. "I have got enough faith in my team that, given patience they will do well."

All aboard.

Updated: 11:40 Friday, August 12, 2005