ROVERS boss Gary Bowyer says he cannot wait for the season to get under way on Friday night, and I for one join him in that anticipation.

For the first time in the Venky’s era, there is a real sense of optimism and a genuine belief that this season could be the start of something special.

Season ticket sales are up, fans are talking football rather than the boardroom, and the season opener against Cardiff can’t come quickly enough.

Transfer-wise, Rovers have hardly set the world on fire this summer, but it is simply a case of trying to cut their cloth accordingly.

Financial Fair Play is looming and all of the moves since the end of last season have been logical ones.

Shifting David Goodwillie, DJ Campbell, Leon Best and Ruben Rochina off the wage bill will make a big difference.

It was a little sad to see Ruben (right) leave as, like many Rovers fans, I was excited at his potential, but the fact remained he was a luxury player who doesn’t really fit into Bowyer’s system.

Incomings have been, as you would expect when trying to get the wage bill down, few and far between.

But those that have come in have been sensible.

Brown and Varney are not world beaters but they add new options up front, especially if we go up against a rough and ready defence full of six-foot-plus monsters.

And the right back question appears to have been answered, at least in the short term, with Alex Baptiste who could well be the player we desperately needed to fill that spot.

Once Bowyer does complete his transfer activity, and we expect that to be just one or two centre-backs – potentially Jordan Spence – it would be nice to try to bring a couple of the better youth players through.

Jack O’Connell seems to be the best of the bunch, having gone out on loan to Rochdale and ended up as their captain last season.

First team action, at least in some cup games, is the only way to help these lads break through the ranks, and if we are short of defenders they could well get their chance this season.