After grabbing 4th place and a spot in the play-offs in the National League South in 2016, finishing just outside the relegation zone this season was not what Lee had hoped for when he returned to Treyew Road as manager last summer. ‘The Chairman and I both had our expectations for last season and to be honest, we didn’t meet them.’

For many supporters, it was the erratic nature of City’s performances that was so frustrating. Lee agrees. ‘We just couldn’t perform consistently for 90 minutes. We did better against the good teams so maybe it was about concentration levels. Over the season we lost more than 40 points from being in drawing (and I don’t mean 0-0) or winning positions and that’s the difference between a relegation battle and the play-offs.

‘You’re not going to win all those, but even another 10-20 points would’ve made a massive difference. We just seemed to capitulate when we went through a bad spell instead of rolling up our sleeves. We lacked leaders.’

Lee feels that the balance of personalities in the team was not right. He’s not a man to make excuses but the reality is that when he took over last summer, the core of the squad was already in place. That undoubtedly restricted his options. So was leadership the big issue? Lee puts it like this.

‘They were all mates on and off the pitch. It’s not that losing didn’t hurt, but when the going got tough, the dressing room would be silent. You need two or three big characters in there so that when it’s not going right they’ll sort it out at half time before the manager even gets in there. Everyone was a bit too nice to each other. ‘

The inevitable end-of-season clear out is not something that Lee treats lightly. ‘It made me ill letting people go at the end of the season’ he says, but he insists that it was essential for the club to progress.

He’s very happy with the players that have been retained. Last week the club announced that six players had agreed new contracts and on Friday one more – Stewart Yetton – signed up. Lee is also waiting to hear back from two more of last season’s squad.

Starting at the back, Lee has told Tom McHale that he’ll be Truro City’s number one ‘keeper next year. ‘I told him that this is his season to shine now.’ It was a bit of a turbulent time for the club in this department last season and Lee says, ‘We sent Tom out on loan to get game time at a good club. He went away a boy and came back a man. We discussed aspects of his game that he needed to work on and he really took that on board. He’s got world class saves in him.’

In a season when defensive problems were clearly the main issue, Lee says that there’s a good reason that Jamie Richards is staying and reckons he was close to being player of the season. ‘Jamie just gets on with his job - he’s not flashy about it. In a season where consistency was a problem, Jamie was Mr. Consistent.’

Further up the pitch, Lee reckons that River Allen has more than earned another season. ‘He’s played at a higher level and has real quality. The work rate and effort he puts in is huge. And he’s got goals in him.’
Stewart Yetton’s experience and presence was key later in the season. Lee says, ‘Going back to what we said about the quiet dressing room, that started to change when Yettsy came back. If things aren’t going right he’s not shy of speaking up.’

As for Cody Cooke, Lee is delighted to see him back after missing three or four months through injury, saying, ‘Since he returned at the end of the season, Cody showed just what an important player he is for Truro City.’

Up front, Niall Thompson’s blistering early form faded a bit towards the end of the season, but he’s still young and this was his first full season playing forty plus games. Lee says, ‘He brings a lot to the table and it always looks like something’s going to happen when he gets the ball. He’s got huge pace and has scored some important goals.’

Finally, Rocky Neal arrived with big expectations thanks to his prolific goal scoring record and he didn’t disappoint. As well as his goals, Lee highlights his energy. ‘He’s a workaholic – he never stops on and off the pitch. He has a huge desire to succeed and you can see how much it hurts him if we lose. That’s the kind of person you want on board.’

Turning to the managerial team, Assistant Manager Chris Todd is also on board for the new season. Lee says that they work well together and as well as his coaching duties, Chris still has a role on the pitch. Lee says, ‘I want him to be as fit as he can to give us another body. He’s experienced and last season we did well when he played. We’re lucky to have him. He did a great job at Eastleigh, and I think they regret losing him now. We get on brilliantly and we’re on the phone constantly. He’s also a great coach - all the boys respect him.’

Of course as soon as players are released at the end of the season, fans are anxious to hear about new arrivals. Lee understands their impatience but says they need to understand where clubs at our level sit in the pecking order. Players will be looking first for full-time football and it can take until July until things shake out.

The priorities? A new defensive line-up, obviously. Things are off to a good start in that department with the arrival of Ben Gerring. The 26 year old played a key role as a loanee at the end of last season and has now made a permanent move to Treyew Road. Lee says, ‘We’re really fortunate that Ben became available. He’s a leader.‘

Lee is also aware that Truro has missed a commanding figure up front. ‘What we lacked all season was a big centre forward. I know that and we’re on the hunt – along with everyone else!’ A couple of potential targets have been identified.

Finding new players is easier said that done though, and Truro’s location doesn’t help. With Plymouth, Torquay and Exeter being regular hunting grounds, supporters frequently question why the club doesn’t source more talent locally. Lee understands this and says that he is always on the lookout for Cornish players. Recommendations come in constantly and they are always checked out.

But he cautions that promising local players are likely to be 16-18 year olds and there’s a limit to how many of those can make the starting line-up. ‘They’re young, just making their way in the game and then you’re throwing them into a league several levels higher against players who might have hundreds of Football League games behind them.’

Is there local talent capable of making the leap? Step forward Rocky Neal. As Lee points out, ‘People call for us to recruit more local talent but when we did that by signing Rocky, some said he wouldn’t be capable of moving up to the National South. By the end of the season, the same people were saying how impressed they are with him.’

Two other local players, Fletcher Williams and Austin Booth, are on the books and are training with the squad. Lee says, ‘If they do the business in pre-season, who knows? We want to keep the young guys we feel are good enough to step up. Those two have worked hard and been brilliant when we’ve asked them to do a job for us.’

So what about the bigger picture? How does Lee see Truro City compared to his last spell as Truro manager? He laughs, ‘Well it’s in a miles better financial position than it was then! And the Chairman is trying to do everything in his power to move the club forward. I’ve loved working with Peter this season. We had some tough meetings and I would have understood it if I’d been sacked. But he stuck with me, which I appreciate.

We’re always talking, we always want to get better players. I can’t think of a time when I’ve said I wanted to get a player in and he’s said no. He always wants to improve and he’s been brilliant on that side of it.’

Lee’s aware that the owners come in for criticism from some quarters but his response is blunt. ‘There will always be some people moaning – it was the same under the previous owner. The Chairman puts the money in and if he doesn’t do that, the club is toast. Simple as that. Some fans think they could run the club but where are they going to find the two or three hundred grand a year to pay for that?’

But Lee stresses that he appreciates the support he’s received, even when things weren’t going well. ‘Everyone at the club works really hard. And through the tough times last year the fans were awesome, clapping the boys off the pitch when sometimes, honestly, they didn’t deserve it.’

So, inevitably, we come to the question of goals for next season. Lee’s proud that this will be a record third season for Truro at this level but wants to see progress. ‘At the very minimum, we need to stay in this League and do it comfortably. Nobody should be under any illusions - the new teams coming into the league next season will only make it harder. But if we can get that consistency back, who knows?’

And finally, he’s under no illusions about what the job involves. ‘At the end of the day it’s my responsibility. If we win it’s the players. If we lose it’s down to me. That’s football and I understand it.’