A good season awaits

It's finally back, and I don't think anything beats the opening day of the season when it comes to blind faith, hope and optimism.

But it does seem we are entering this season in a far more positive manner than last - when he had half our squad still returning from World Cup duty, delays to the new stadium and endless uncertainty about how long we'd actually be playing at Wembley, unhappiness among certain players, speculation surrounding Poch's future, and no new signings.

Despite the troubles we faced last year - no ground to call our own for more than half the season, injuries to key personnel, other clubs spending big - we did remarkably well, finishing in the top 4 for the fourth season running, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup (and only going out on pens) and, best of all, that incredible run to the Champions League final (which, putting aside the forgettable final itself, was perhaps the most fun I've had as a Spurs fan. Some of those games - Ajax and City away, in particular - immediately entered the pantheon of the greatest Spurs matches ever).

Still, though, it was in many ways a bitty, disjointed, odd season - tempered with great moments, the return home to our magnificent new stadium and the run to Madrid chief among them - and we relied heavily on Arsenal, United and Chelsea being as bad as us towards the end of the season. It seems like we barely won a game from March or so onwards - partly distracted by the Champions League, but also just not playing very well at times.

This season, though, we will have our first full season in our great new home, we have the reinforcements we've been crying out for, we've kept hold of Toby, Rose and Eriksen, and we have a very strong looking squad. Chelsea will find it difficult without Hazard and with no new transfers - they're relying heavily on youth, and Lampard will be under pressure if things start going wrong - Arsenal continue to be an unknown quantity (excellent going forward, vulnerable at the back, which Luiz is unlikely to change). And then United, who have signed good players but not world-class ones and in many ways look fairly weak.

I think 3rd isn't out of the equation this season, and it would be great to go on and actually win something. Failing that, another epic cup run and some cracking matches will do me. Let's start the right way against Villa, a potentially tricky match against a team who look rejuvenated but who we generally beat at home.

I'll admit I've barely followed our pre-season matches - I tend to switch off over the summer and watch other sports instead - but the bits I have seen have looked positive. Kane looks fit, determined and back to his best, Tanguy looks a real find, and the squad has a good balance to it.

Can we find some way of playing in the coral/ocean kit this season, because it seemed to bring us plenty of success?

COYS.