VIEW FROM THE STANDS

Last season was quite the whirlwind. Sure, we only won one trophy ( albeit a pretty one), but our consistency was remarkable. To do it with no recognised No. 9, again, is testament to the manager and his adaptable squad.

The big talking point is the ‘ exodus’ of key players. We expected Gabriel Jesus to go, and no one would begrudge Oleksandr Zinchenko’s move, but the potential departures of Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are far more troubling. This season will be different

because we’ve signed a No. 9 and it’s Erling Haaland.

Our key player will be Kevin De Bruyne. Despite our phenomenal squad, it often feels like he’s still head and shoulders above the rest. Our most underrated

player is Kyle Walker. You saw just how much we missed his know- how and defensive cover towards the business end of last season. I’m least looking forward to playing Antonio Conte’s revamped Spurs. Our recent record is terrible against them ( and Son Heung- min in particular). They’ll be a force. The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that he’s God, a genius – and yet he still doesn’t get the praise he deserves. His ability to adapt coaching methods to his players, the way his teams play, the consistency of title triumphs… it’s unrivalled. The pantomime villain will

be Jack Grealish, particularly if his form doesn’t improve early on. The media will get on him, but characters are to be embraced. He’s relatable – for good and bad reasons – and that’s rare these days. The one change I’d make

would be improving prices – our season tickets have unnecessarily continued to rise over the last 10 years. We’ll finish 1st.