Mansfield are in their first season back in the third tier after 21 years, having secured automatic promotion from League Two last season.
With the Stags spending only one season at this level in the past three decades, Clough says success will be measured only by survival.
“First and foremost it’s about staying in the league – that could be fifth from the bottom or it could be sixth or seventh from top,” Clough said.
“Trying to establish ourselves as a League One club is the next stage now, having not stayed at this level for more than 30 years I don’t think that is tempering expectations too much.”
Clough also admits that the start Mansfield have made, keeping three clean sheets in their past three games as they made it six wins from nine league games this season, “raises expectations”.
“We have to deal with that,” Clough continued.
“But I don’t think anyone is even taking it seriously that we will maintain it.”
In a division that includes eight former Premier League clubs – including Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic, two sides the Stags face in the next 10 days – as well as other fast-rising rivals – Wrexham and Stockport – the 58-year-old does not have to try hard when looking for reasons why maintaining their place near the summit will be difficult.
“Why not dream?” Clough said. “But it has to be tempered by the realisation that hold on a minute, there is Birmingham City, there is Wrexham, and Stockport and Charlton, and do you want me to keep going on and on with the ex-Premier League clubs that are in the league this year?
“When Mansfield were in the Conference [now the National League] Birmingham were in the Premier League, so that’s five leagues apart, and now we get to play them, not quite on an even playing field but we are in the same league.”
