Just three more sleeps until Bristol City are back in business with a lengthy trip up to Hull to look foward to.
Train strikes mean around 800 Robins fans are set to make the journey north to watch City look to kick-start their campaign with three points and get the wheels in motion for a successful season.
With any luck, City will have hopefully already won the psychological battle with the contest coming just three months after the Robins pummelled Shota Arveladze's men 5-0 at Ashton Gate. The attack ran riot with Andi Weimann, Antoine Semenyo and Chris Martin all getting themselves on the scoresheet.
With Hull's preparations being hampered with injuries and a pre-season 3-0 defeat to Peterborough on Saturday, there's a hope City can take advantage by starting on the front foot at the MKM Stadium.
But that confidence isn't just isolated to that one match, there's little reason why City can't improve on their 17th spot last season despite what some pundits and the bookies are saying about their chances.
Here's five reasons why City fans can feel optimistic ahead of the new season.
Keeping hold of Scott and Semenyo (for now)
At the risk of tempting fate, keeping hold of both Alex Scott and Antoine Semenyo will be eyed as a major postive in the transfer market thus far. And yes, we know there's still always the chance one, and dare I say it, both, could still leave before the September 1 transfer deadline.
Semenyo's shin injury that he picked up on international duty is obviously a blow to Nigel Pearson and his preparations ahead of the new season but on the other hand, it also dramatically increases his chances of staying with the club this summer. The manager has already confirmed the striker is likely to be back in action in mid-September, after the transfer deadline closes.
His form from the turn of the year last season helped transform City's fortunes going forward and perhaps even convinced the manager that playing a No10 behind Semenyo and Chris Martin with wing-backs was the way forward. Eight goals and 12 assists in 31 league appearances is impressive but it was his all-round play that helped the likes of Martin hit double figures and Andi Weimann reach 22 goals.
Without putting too much expectations on his shoulders, Semenyo is only going to get better this season although it may take him some time to get back up to optimum match fitness once he recovers from his injury. There have been some transfer links regarding Semenyo with Middlesbrough reportedly putting in an enquiry, West Ham were snooping as were Crystal Palace and Celtic but as we understand, there has been nothing concrete.
It's a similar suggestion regarding Scott, although Pearson did cast a minor concern earlier this week when he admitted there has been interest in some players they want to keep hold of. With the midfielder's ability, potential and maturity one can only assume that Scott may have a part to play regarding those comments albeit it remains guesswork.
Tottenham, Leeds and Brighton are the Premier League sides sniffing although there is bound to be a whole raft of clubs, particularly as scouts from across Europe were in attendance to see Scott lift the Under-19 England Euros trophy this summer. Brian Tinnion has already said it would take a "very, very big offer" for City to even consider cashing in.
Although it's difficult to measure his value in comparison to other players, perhaps Keane Lewis-Potter may be most suitable. The 21-year-old forward left Hull for Brentford in a deal worth an initial £16m with the potential of £4m in add-ons. You have to take into account that he already had two seasons in the Championship in comparison to Scott's one.
City wouldn't consider selling Scott for less than £20m and with the current financial market, it seems unlikely a club would part with that much cash for a player who still may be considered 'relatively unproven.'
Eitherway, their loss will be City's gain and if the duo can stay fit this campaign, they will be a joy to watch knowing full well that this could their final season in a City shirt.
The form
It hasn't been a bad pre-season by any stretch of the imagination in terms of results. Four wins and two draws with no defeats means City are carrying momentum heading into the new season despite the odd comment that off-season results mean very little.
While that is partly true as it provides the opportunity to fine-tune positions, watch the youngsters in action and experiment with formations, it does build a confidence in the camp and know-how in how to grind out a victory.
City did it to perfection on Saturday, defeating Bournemouth on their own turf by a solitary goal. Scott Parker picked a strong starting XI but there was a grit and a determination to City's play that made them capable of grinding out the victory, something we seldom saw last season.
The performance against Plymouth was also far from fluent, but again, City won 1-0 through Nahki Wells. The draws against Portsmouth and Exeter also posed a number of questions but the matter of fact is that City avoided defeat and showed the character against the Grecians to come back from 2-0 behind to salvage a draw.
However, you also have to head back to the end of last season, where City left their best form until the final six matches of the campaign. They finally won back-to-back going five undefeated including a 5-0 victory over Hull before falling to defeat against a Huddersfield side that finished third on the final day of the season.
Momentum doesn't need to end on the final day of the season, it can be carried through the summer and into the following campaign. A comparison to Pearson's old club Leicester is the ultimate example.
When they were staring down the barrel of relegation, they lost one of their last nine to stay afloat and then remained undefeated in their pre-season campaign before creating Premier League history by winning the league. Although I'm not suggesting City are going to be lifting the Championship title by May, it goes to show what can happen when there's momentum and confidence in the ranks.
A clear system
In comparison to 12 months ago, when Pearson was unsure whether to play with the four at the back or with the three, there is now a much clearer sense of how City will play this season.
Andy King mentioned it in pre-season after the game against Exeter, saying: "We've got a style of how we want to play, we've got a formation of how we want to play and the lads have been playing together for a year which does make a big difference.
"There was a high turnover of players last year, people coming in not knowing whether we were going to play four at the back or five at the back and I think this year we have a sense of how we want to play and where people are going to fit into that system."
Injuries and City's defensive record last season meant Pearson looked for more security at the back by switching the system and while it's a stretch to suggest it tightened City up at the back, it certainly allowed the attackers to flourish.
So the manager has stuck with the system in pre-season, signing players to fill the positions of weakness. Kane Wilson is the obvious addition that could prove most beneficial considering how City didn't have a right wing-back last season while Kal Naismith adds experience and leadership in the centre of the back three. Mark Sykes' versatility and energy will also prove crucial across the campaign.
The pre-season matches have been evident of the small tweaks in the style of play, most notably the use of the wing-backs and how far forward they have been asked to contribute. Wilson and Jay Dasilva have often been in line with the forwards on occasions when City have the ball in possession in defence at times.
Every player seems to know his role in the side. Even Sykes, who admitted he was learning how to develop in a No10 position, has improved considerably game by game in regards to the influence he is having on the attack.
The one caveat to this is teams may find a system to be effective against City, for example exploiting the space behind the wing-backs and that's when Pearson will need to earn his corn and find a way to counteract it.
A buzz
There's no denying there's optimism around Ashton Gate which is reflected in season ticket sales. Around 13,500 have been sold which, given the circumstances with the ridiculous inflation and cost of living crisis, is more than a decent effort. They are also on track to top last season's figures.
The club have also introduced incentives to pack the Gate including a mates rates initiative which will allow season ticket holders to bring two matches for just £12.50 each meaning over 20,000 seats have been sold for the Sunderland match.
With Pearson's straight-talking approach in regards to his squad and how he is attempting to change fortunes on the pitch but also the culture off it including getting the club to be more sustainable, fans are buying into what the manager and club are trying to achieve.
Under Lee Johnson, there was such a divide among the fanbase on occasions that there only had to be a small catalyst to trigger a difficult atmosphere among the stands which then filters down onto the pitch. Obviously, it's early days and a 3-0 defeat against Hull would mean glasses will quickly go from being half full to half empty in the space of a couple of hours.
However, it feels different this time around and the positivity can only fuel performances on the pitch.
It's anyone's guess
There's a reason why the Championship is arguably the best league in the world - although my view is slightly biased. It's exhilarating, unpredictable with more twists and turns than the Swan Lake ballet show.
Games come thick and fast and anyone can be anybody no matter the form or players on show. Just take a look at last season. Who'd have thought Huddersfield and Luton would climb into the play-offs while West Brom would struggle.
Once again, it's another wide-open Championship that is sure to conjure up a couple of surprises. Of course, there are the heavyweights of the division in Burnley, Norwich and Watford as they look to bounce back to the top flight.
Burnley and Watford could be unknown quantities with new managers at the helm while Middlesbrough under Chris Wilder and Steve Bruce's Baggies are expected to go well with two bosses with the know-how of getting a club promoted from the Championship.
Sheffield United will also be looking at promotion and perhaps Swansea but apart from those, it's going to be wildly unpredictable. Cardiff have made 13 new signings and that could even be a stroke of genius by Steve Morison or a complete disaster, while Preston seem to be linked with every player under the sun this summer.
There's also a surprise package or two who defy the odds by making a surprise charge up the league. The year prior it was Barnsley who finished fifth only to be relegated just 12 months later. In the 2019/20 campaign it was unfancied Brentford who went all the way to achieve promotion.
Staying injury-free will be integral for City with their lack of depth in the squad but maybe, just maybe, it could the Robins' turn to defy pre-season predictions by making a charge.
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