TERRY Butcher admits he’s relishing the prospect of a return to Rodney Parade, even though he’s promised to yield the axe on his underperforming players.

Butcher was annoyed after the Exiles’ display at Plymouth on Saturday and is expected to make full use of the five permitted changes you are able to make in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, ahead of tonight’s clash with Swindon Town (kick-off 7.45pm).

And Butcher admits his hands are somewhat tied.

“We can’t jig it around too much as we don’t have the players, but there will be some rotation certainly, as it represents a good chance to give some other players a chance,” he told the Argus.

“Lenell John-Lewis will get another chance to get some more match sharpness. I didn’t want him to play 90 minutes on Saturday if I am honest. Ideally would have played for 60 or 70 minutes, but he had to play the whole game due to the circumstances.

“We have to play well against Swindon who are a division higher than us, if we don’t compete, we will get turned over again.

“Alex Rodman comes back, which also boosts us, we are just happy to return home.

“Hopefully we will pick up our performance and get the Rodney Parade crowd behind us and play with the good memories we have of playing well there.

“That thought lifts my spirits.

“We keep going to tough places, Cambridge, Hartlepool and Plymouth has been a tough start. Four defeats out of five doesn’t do much for your confidence and having a return to Rodney Parade to look forward to does provide us a big boost.”

Butcher hasn’t changed his assessment of Saturday despite a late rally from the Exiles that saw them hit the crossbar, but he’s not too concerned at being bottom of the pile at such an early stage.

“It was too little too late,” he explained.

“They are great, honest guys, and we will get to the bottom of it, but we weren’t good enough on Saturday.

“If we can get one or two back from the treatment table, I’ll be a lot happier.

“It’s far too early to be looking at the league table. It’s a team who remain unfamiliar with one another, every week we are making changes and it does make it difficult.

“I’ve asked for a response and I’m sure I’ll get one.

“I won’t be looking at the DVD, it will be going straight in the bin where it deserves. Saturday was not us.

“For us it’s the perfect time to have three successive home games to look forward to.

“We couldn’t cope with them in midfield and even when we beefed it up in midfield, I didn’t feel we competed with them, or get into the pace of the game.

“We couldn’t cope with them and only when we went for broke and played 4-2-4 did we look threatening, though we left ourselves wide open.

“We expect much better.”