Last season was a disaster waiting to happen. In fact the script was written last Summer when one esteemed member of the Bury FC board decided it would be a good idea to appoint Keith Alexander as Director of Football, seemingly with the intention that this would force the completely unaware Chris Casper to offer his resignation from his recently signed three year contract. He didn't and Bury's season spiralled out of control, to the extent where the two members of KACC where trading verbal blows on the back pages of the local newspaper. Fortunately, Alan Knill rode into town like a ginger Lone Ranger, and swept aside any fears of relegation leading the Shakers to a highly respectable 13th position.

You'd have to say that Bury have clearly been looking over at Spotland with jealous eyes over the past couple of years. Whilst they were undergoing the most amateurish management team ever seen last term, they could clearly see the benefits of bringing in a former player, full of fresh ideas and letting them get on with things. You could almost go as far as describing them as "Diet Dale".

They certainly have the right man for the job in Alan Knill, and his work there so far has been outstanding. Of course there's been an element of the honeymoon period which accompanies all new managers, Knill showed something a bit more than that. This wasn't a four / five game flash in the pan from the lanky ex defender. This was clear evidence of someone who knew what he was doing - something not seen at Gigg Lane for quite a few years.

Knill took them to a finish of 13th place - no mean feat considering the mess that he inherited from the two previous clowns in charge. It might not have been the most noticeable turnaround but for supporters of Bury to be even contemplating a Play Off push - realistically and not just through the usual delusions of grandeur - that says to me that they've got a good 'un in charge.

Well they've got rid of the pantomime management for a start, and for the first time in a while, they look to be a club which has stability and some semblance of knowing what they are doing and where they want to be. You cannot praise Knill's work with them last season highly enough.

And he's been equally busy over the Summer. Sodje's permanent signing has been a key transfer, and Bury supporters were overjoyed at the return of Elliott Bennett on loan from Wolves, as it was his loan spell at Bury last year which coincided with their great end of year run.

But it's probably been Knill's work at getting the best out of the existing players which has been the difference. He picked up an unmotivated squad, where underachieving had become the club motto, and started getting the best out of them. Would be great to hear Casper's reasons why Knill succeeded where he had failed so spectacularly. I'm sure there'll be an excuse.

Bishop is proof of that with eleven of his nineteen league goals coming under Knill's management. Whether it was a confidence thing or playing to a style which suited Bishop, it worked, and the key thing will be to ensure that continues this time round.

The loss of Adams over the Summer will be a much bigger blow than they realise. He contributed over a fifth of their goals from last season. You take those goals away and there's precious little left other than an over reliance on Andy Bishop. Add into that, a large number of assists which was one of the highest totals in the division last season, and it gives an indication as to why we sought him so following the end of last season.

They've also got the Andy Bishop issue. This will be the final year of his contract, and as we've seen to our cost over the years, it's players like this who become prime targets for other sides, and unless Bishop can be tempted to sign a new deal, there's going to be itchy feet if bids start coming in for their star man in January. Whilst the figures banded about by some Bury fans are frankly laughable, bids in the region of £150,000 might prove tempting faced with the prospect of losing the former Dale striker for nothing next Summer.

10th - Top Half

Yet despite all of that, Alan Knill came in and led the side to 13th. Now from how we see it, Knill either did something incredibly special to turn things round at Gigg Lane, or this division has a lot worse sides than what we realise. This was a team which only really started playing in February, and still managed to find 10 sides in this division who were worse overall than Bury.

The comparisons between Bury in 2007-8 and ourselves in 2006-7 are all too clear to see. Fair enough, Keith Hill did it over a longer period of time than Knill did, but it's not like we are judging Knill's time in charge as a 5/6 game honeymoon period. Getting eight wins from the final twelve games (plus a highly creditable draw at home against ten men Dale) is promotion form and its no surprise that the Bury fans are very eager about the new campaign.

Knill's been busy over the Summer too. He's brought in players that he's knows can improve the side, two of which are returning to the club after good spells last year, and it would look based on last season that he's certainly capable of getting the best out of Andy Bishop.

But the loss of Adams is a blow. I know Bury fans have mixed opinions on him but his contribution from midfield in terms of goals and assists will be extremely difficult to replace. Bennett will go some way towards that, but an exciting player to watch doesn't always transfer into goals and assists - a charge which was been levelled at our very own Higginbotham in certain quarters.

There's little doubting that its going to be a better season for Bury. The question will be how much of a better season will it be? Are they capable of a play off push? After all, you're only asking them to finish six places higher, which is hardly an impossible task.

Well we think the Bury squad is still a little on the bare side. They have the look of a side which will have fans saying "If we have a bit of luck with injuries and suspensions.....". That luck doesn't happen, because over the 46 game season, there will be games where they're missing the likes of Bennett or Bishop or Sodje, and its those games which will ensure that they fall a little bit short of the Play Offs.