Despite leading the club back into the top six, head coach Liam Manning left to take charge of Championship rivals Norwich in June.
Manning cited the Canaries’ “ambition” as motivation for the switch and has been backed with significant spending on new players over the summer.
Austrian Gerhard Struber was brought in to replace Manning at Ashton Gate on a three-year contract.
“There’s a sense of optimism here and there should be,” Rawcliffe said. “We have got a good squad.
“We recruited in the summer of 2024 quite strongly and we’re pleased with our recruitment this summer. I still think we are ambitious.
“We think the squad we’ve got and with Gerhard coming in, it’s a natural fit and it should lead to success.”