The Swifts are only three points behind leaders Linfield - albeit having played a game more - and will be favourites to beat bottom-placed Carrick Rangers at Stangmore Park on Saturday.

However, McAree expects to become more focused on the bottom of the table - rather than the top - as the campaign goes on.

"We’ve had a good start to the season and we probably have had more highs than lows. I don’t expect at the end of the season to have more highs than lows," says the Swifts boss.

"I expect us to be competitive and hopefully at the end of the season, we’ll have enough. Whenever you talk about league tables, I’ll know what the team at the bottom has got rather than what the team at the top has got."

McAree adds that it's inevitable his side will suffer a "blip" and that the key to the campaign will be how the players and staff respond to that.

"We’re going alright at the moment. We are playing well but it’s massively important we pick up points while we are playing well.

"We will go through a run of bad results. I’ve no doubt about that. But I believe that the people around me and the players will be able to pick themselves up whenever that happens."

McAree insists that Carrick's current position - after seven straight defeats - is not reflective of the squad Stuart King has assembled.

"I don’t expect Carrick to be in that position come the end of the season. We certainly won’t be taking Carrick lightly on Saturday."