Yeovil Town

Whilst selling fanzines at the last home game of last season a fellow fan collared me and asked "How many of these players will be here next season?"

At the time I half struggled to come up with even a handful and they were more squad players, and maybe if the team had turned up along with nearly 30,000 fans at Wembley I might have been right as it was on the wet Wembley turf was the last time the likes of Wayne Gray, Chis Cohen, Aaron Davies, Andy Lindegaard and JP Kalala wore the green and white hoops.

On paper such a cull has led many outside observers to suggest we won’t repeat the 'heroics' of last season. However like last season when so many wrote us off and we were considered relegation favourites, I predict Yeovil will prove people wrong once again.

The departures may have left various holes but manager Russell Slade as ever astute in the transfer market has filled them with more than capable alternatives and with cash to spare.

The captures of Marc Bircham, Gary Dempsey, Marvin Williams, Paul Warne and the loan signing of Lee Peltier mean we start the season with a midfield overflowing with options.

The Glovers' have made 'impressive' signings

Providing Lloyd Owusu can put his injury troubles aside he should become the strong and powerful frontman that the club has lacked for years.

Add all this to a defence built on the rocks that are Terry Skiverton, Terrell Forbes and ultimately Steve Mildenhall, Yeovil are in as good a- if not better- position squad-wise than this time last season. There is still time even for Russell to work his magic perhaps with a couple of loan moves- a tactic that worked so well last season.

Despite personally witnessing the calamitous tactical mind that is Colin Calderwood in that amazing play-off 2nd leg last season, surely even he will make the most of the embarrassment of riches he has accrued over the summer.

Leaving Forest aside, I think this league looks very competitive where pretty much anyone can beat anyone.

It's a situation in which Yeovil should benefit in the same way they did last season- keeping it tight at home and nicking wins, whilst picking up points with a more open approach away.

It might be the wrong way round for the season ticket holders (despite their reasonable price - well done YTFC) but no-one was complaining at five-to-three on 27 May at the magnificent Wembley stadium.

There has been much change at the club since then- most of it for the better- and for that reason, why can't Russell Slade and the boys repeat the success of last season?

We've been to Wembley already- let's just go up automatically this time!