AS certain as night follows day, the start of a new season brings fresh optimism and renewed hope, such is the lifecycle of a football fan.

Tranmere supporters are no different and no matter what highs and lows have gone before them in recent times – it’s mainly been lows – everything is reset to zero for the beginning of a new campaign.

But whereas in most cases up and down the country this bright outlook is inevitably misplaced, Rovers fans have plenty of reasons to reasonably expect their team to deliver the goods this time round.

For starters, the squad is looking in a much more stable position than it was 12 months go.

After a ridiculously high turnover of loan players, Tranmere were relegated from the Football League and new manager Gary Brabin was left to try and patch up a squad that could challenge for an instant return to League Two.

Ultimately they would fall short, finishing sixth and just missing out on the play-offs.

Two things really cost Tranmere last season, dismal home form and not enough goals from anyone apart from James Norwood. Brabin has already moved to address the latter.

The summer acquisitions of Andy Cook from Barrow, Darren Stephenson from Chorley and Connor Jennings from local rivals Wrexham brings to Prenton Park a trio that yielded 60 goals between them last season.

Despite suffering some wretched results at Prenton Park the nucleus of a settled side became evident from around Christmas time and thankfully Brabin has been able to hold on to his best players.

The likes of Norwood, Adam Mekki and goalkeeper Scott Davies are all set to feature again while the blossoming defensive partnership of Steve McNulty and Michael Ihiekwe remains.

These players are now well versed in the demands of playing at Prenton Park and should help the news players settle in quickly.

This has already been evident and is reflected in some impressive preseason performances that culminated in the 4-1 spanking of AFC Fylde last Saturday.

All of the new signings have already found their way onto the score sheet and perhaps even more encouraging was the flowing nature of Rovers’ 4-3-3 formation at Fylde, which offered an attacking threat far greater than any witnessed by Tranmere supporters last season.

Of course, doing it in preseason is one thing, delivering the goods when it really matters is quite another.

Now Brabin’s charges must take that good form into the season proper and show they are up for the fight in what will be a long and tough season that will seldom be pretty.

Like Rovers and Cheltenham Town last season, Dagenham & Redbridge and York City will not have taken kindly to dropping out of the Football League and will be determined to make an instant return.

Tranmere can also expect stiff competition from Chris Todd’s Eastleigh and Forrest Green Rovers who once again fell short in the play-offs last season.

A year in non-league football might not have been the destiny of choice for the Super White Army but at least they now know what to expect from most of their opponents this season and that experience will only benefit the team going forward.

With a new-look attack and a welcome feel-good vibe in the air, we can all head to Bromley on Saturday with hope reinstalled for a successful season and who knows, perhaps a return to the Football League.

After all, where there is faith there is light and strength.