Keith Lamb: “Let me leave anyone who is in any doubt about this that we remain steadfastly ambitious.
“Our ambition remains to get back in the Premier League as soon as possible, hopefully this season.
“Everyone at the club - me, Steve Gibson, Gareth Southgate, the staff and players - has that same ambition and aim. That's what the supporters want and it's what we want too - and we believe we can do that this season.
“We understand the frustration the supporters feel but we would assure them that the changes were for the good of the club.
“The support we've received at the Riverside and on our travels this season has been fantastic.
“I'm convinced that our fans can be a major strength for us this season.
“We've made a good start, we have a good squad of committed, focused players and we've got loyal and vocal fans behind us.
“With all that in place, now is the time for us to knuckle down and make sure we get back to the Premier League at the first attempt.”