Matthew Tipton has opened up on his Portadown departure and set out his promotion stall with his new club.
Tipton parted company with the Ports on January 23, and two weeks later he was appointed manager of Championship outfit Ards.
It has been a quick return to the dugout for the former Irish League striker, who spent four years at Shamrock Park before the axe fell last month.
Tipton believes he could have kept Portadown in the Premiership this season, but insists his sole focus is now on helping new club Ards reach the top flight.
Asked how he reflected on his time at Shamrock Park, Tipton told Belfast Live's That's What I Call Football podcast : "I got them promoted and back to where they wanted to be. That's it.
"Every club has expectations and every club thinks they should be top of the league. But they have to be realistic. Football has changed in this country.
"The playing field isn't as level as it used to be. You're shopping in a different market and you have to be cute and clever and you have to back yourself in terms of what what you do on the training pitch.
"I did get sucked into it in the last tiny period in thinking I just needed new signings because everyone else was signing players.
"Maybe I should have backed myself to work on the training pitch with the players I had because they never let me down previously.
"I think Portadown will see the benefits of that over time if they stick with what I put in place in terms of trying to develop the youth and things.
"But the new manager might come in and have no interest in that, and why would they? After four years I ended up getting the sack. So maybe it is a case of here and now for them, but that's of no interest to me.
"My focus is on Ards. I knew what I got into at Portadown. I got them promoted, kept them up last year, and I believe I could have helped them stay up this year.
"But I have moved on now."
Tipton - who had signed a new five-year full-time contract last year with Portadown - parted company with the Mid Ulster club following a 3-1 defeat to Dungannon Swifts.
He says his departure came as a surprise to him and his backroom team, despite the club struggling at the bottom end of the table.
"It wasn't like I had been on a run of 25 defeats. We had just drawn with Coleraine the week before, so it was just a snap decision that was made on the day, or the Sunday," he added.
"I just got on with it. I went home and ordered a Chinese, and I was ready to go once I got the call. So I was happy enough."
He added: "I got a call to go and meet them, and we had a discussion. I don't think it was a case of they thought of it, but we just decided between us that a parting of ways was best.
"That's the way football is. Maybe what I was doing wasn't working. It certainly didn't work that Saturday against Dungannon.
"But I have been football a long time, and I know there are ups and downs all the time and you just have to get on with it.
"There have been plenty of good performances and results over the course of the season for me to know I could have turned it around, and I have enough confidence and faith in my ability.
"We just couldn't get those wins, and it is tough playing against teams who are considerably better and it is hard turning those performances into wins."
Tipton kicked off his Ards tenure with a 3-2 win over Loughgall on Tuesday night.
It leaves the Clandeboye Park club in seventh place in the Championship, but just five points off the play-off spot which is currently held by the team they beat in midweek.
Tipton believes opportunity knocks for a lot of clubs this season, including Ards.
"Obviously Ards want to try and challenge this season. They were top for a large period of the season and then had a bad slump," Tipton said.
"But the way the Championship is, it is so tight, so a few wins and you could be in that second spot and in that play-off spot.
"There are 12 games to go so there is plenty of time. It is not as if there are five games to go and we have a five-point swing to make up.
"There are enough games, time and space to challenge for that second spot. Can we catch Newry? I don't know because they are a bit further ahead.
"My remit is go and win as many matches as possible. That has always been my mantra as a player and manager. Win as many games as possible and see where it takes you."
