With a new season just around the corner, two subjects come up every year before a ball is even kicked.

Whether you are the chairman, the manager, a player or fan, the big questions are: What are the hopes and expectations of the team for the up-and-coming campaign?

What’s the difference? I could give you my north London explanation, but thought I would be more professional and refer to the dictionary.

The definition of hope is: ‘A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen’, whereas as the definition of expectation is: ‘A strong belief that something will happen or be the case’.

In my two years with Oxford United, there was always an expectation of promotion, rather than a hope. People around the club used to tell me it’s always been that way.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but I’m not sure it’s good either.

Going into my first season with the U’s, I expected us to do well and had hoped that we got promoted.

I didn’t know the league, didn’t know many of the other teams and in fact, didn’t really know many of my teammates.

At the end of pre-season, I was impressed with my new colleagues and expected us to do well – at least top-eight.

My first season ended with us narrowly missing out on the play-offs, so I would say it didn’t go as well I had hoped or expected. With the players we had in the squad and very little movement in or out over the summer, I had high expectations for the following campaign. I expected us to get promoted and hoped we would win the league.

So what do you base your hopes and expectations on?

Is it about which players have come in and gone out over the summer? Do you wait until after the last game of pre-season? Or do you simply just say we should go up this year, no excuses. You choose!

It’s interesting seeing it from a fan’s point of view or even just outside of the dressing room.

At the last end-of-season awards, United chairman Ian Lenagan (pictured above) gave what I thought was a good speech – and not just because he said one of his highlights was seeing me flash my six-pack to the Accrington fans! All joking aside, he touched on the very subject of the expectation about the place. I didn’t feel he was making excuses, I actually thought he was making a good point.

I understand when a club gets used to winning silverware regularly, they expect to win something every year. With United having had only three years back in the Football League and the Conference play-off final their only recent success,where does the high expectations come from?

Is it because of the club’s history they think they have a divine right to be rubbing shoulders with better company?

I think United have done well in regaining their status and establishing themselves once again as a Football League club.

Financially, it seems they are doing all they can to become stable, but at the same time trying to compete with other clubs in bringing in quality players (and yes, sometimes letting good ones go!) I think for Oxford United it should be plain and simple – hopes ‘high’ and expectations ‘realistic’.

Looking at the new squad, even with a huge change in personnel, there is still a strong spine to the team.

It’s a good core and I feel will make them strong.

My team spine would be Ryan Clarke, Jake Wright, Andy Whing and James Constable. They all are experienced and very good players.

And, of course, there are players like Alfie (Potter), Riggy (Sean Rigg) and many others to give the team flair and excitement.

So, here we go for the new season ... I expect my old team to do well by getting in the play-offs and I hope they go up automatically.