Not sure I agree - the not “gelling” excuse is often used for a poor start that tends to continue throughout the season - plenty of examples of brand new squads firing on all cylinders from the off - good example was Shrewsbury two seasons ago.
Of course we have to manage expectations and there will be bumps on the road but anything less than maintaining a top 7 position from the off (2 or 3 games in) will be a disappointment for me.
Most League 2 clubs have big changes in their squads every year, so surely, its a problem for all the clubs, but only the ones that lose use it !!