The club’s current league position is a stark contrast to the optimism of when Jenkins completed the takeover of County back in January 2024.
Days before a lucrative FA Cup tie against Manchester United, his arrival was heralded by many as another positive step for the club.
After all, he had achieved stunning success at the helm of Swansea City, overseeing a rise from League Two to the Premier League and eventual European football.
Jenkins’ main goal at County was to balance the books and make a sustainable business model.
“The main priority from day one is to very quickly get the club back on a better financial footing,” Jenkins said at the time.
It was sensible talk. Fans had been warned the previous summer the club did not have the funds to cover the season’s budget after losses of £1.2m.
Given the position Jenkins took on the club, a prudent approach was backed by supporters, but it’s the decisions on the field that have left many asking questions.
“Huw was brought in because the [Supporters] Trust just didn’t have the finances to operate,” added Harris.
“There was a hole in the finances that we desperately needed to get out of and his business plan has been very much ‘lets make this club sustainable’.
“He spoke with a lot of pragmatism. We at Newport County are a pragmatic bunch so we were not hoping for miracles and he said ‘I don’t have millions to invest in this club’.
“He came on our podcast and said it took four years to get Swansea out of League Two. The issue is that we’re looking for a little bit of progression and to see something is moving in the right direction. At the moment, we are only see things moving in one direction – the National League.”
It was a “different direction” that Jenkins wanted in 2024 when parting company with manager Graham Coughlan, a man who had steered the club to league safety over the course of his 20 months in charge.
His replacement was Nelson Jardim, a former Swansea colleague of Jenkins – who after a promising start – lost 10 of his final 12 games meaning County finished a place above the relegation zone in League Two. Jardim was replaced by Hughes in the close season.
Player recruitment the same summer was a mix of the young, the untested and the experienced.
Wales midfielder Matt Smith and goalkeeper Nik Tzanev bring EFL pedigree, while youngsters like Leicester loanees Nathan Opoku and Sammy Braybrooke bring potential. For others like Lee Jenkins, signed from Cymru Premier side Haverfordwest, League Two is an entirely new experience.
For ex-players like Jason Perry, that has been a major problem:
“I feel for David Hughes, I look at the coaching staff and there’s a lot of experience there like Wayne Hatswell who likes to work with experienced pros,” said Perry on BBC Radio Wales’ Feast of Football phone-in.
“Last year they had more experience and we said they didn’t have enough. They’ve got less this year, it’s obvious what they need.
“I want to know who is bringing the players in, because it’s obvious what they are missing.
“You don’t just need one, you need three, four or five [experienced players] because they will create an atmosphere because they won’t allow levels to drop and then others will see it and will join in.”
Fellow ex-County player and BBC Wales pundit Nathan Blake echoes Perry’s view.
“The lack of experience more than anything is glaring,” said Blake.
“They are just hoping that two other teams are worse than them and you can’t rely on that.
“Fans pay their hard earned money, they have got a right to be entertained. I think these fans are realistic, they are not expecting to be flying in the top six. They were expecting a slow process and rebuild of the club.
“The club has come out and said that the squad is better now than a year or two ago, but most fans agree that isn’t the case.
“Our eyes don’t lie, performances have been poor.”
County have been here before. The ‘great escape’ of 2017, when the club avoided relegation on the final day of the League Two season is remembered fondly.
But for fans like Jamie Harris it’s difficult to remain optimistic.
“I don’t see any kind of style and I don’t see any substance in terms of results,” he said.
“Style at this stage is out the window, we don’t care about that. We just want a win.”
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