Last campaign was a dismal one for myself and everybody concerned with Notts County Football Club. A season that promised so much, delivered very little, leaving the Meadow Lane faithful in a great heap of dismay and very little optimism for the future.

After a quite frankly heartbreaking end to what looked to be initially a very successful 14/15 campaign, relegation to the basement league stared the Magpies right in the face, after manager Shaun Derry's departure in late March 2015.

In came former 1860 Munich manager and Tottenham Hotspur skills coach Ricardo Moniz, and immediately made a unique impact at the club, with his attack-minded, "you score one, we'll score two" approach on the game.

It was a summer of transition, 18 new players walked through the doors at Meadow Lane before the season had even began, with veteran striker Jon Stead, Stanley Aborah, and former Newcastle forward Adam Campbell putting pen to paper, closely followed by Crawley Town's 21 goal man Izale McLeod in the latter stages of August.

After beating Stevenage 2-0 at the LAMEX Stadium on opening day, then knocking out Championship outfit Huddersfield Town in the Capital One Cup 2-1 the following Tuesday night, the Magpies were looking to be an unstoppable force in League Two, and a team very much on the ascent with the Dutchman at the helm.

But as was the state of football in the whole of Nottingham last term, a dark cloud loomed over the Lane, leaving Notts to endure the worst campaign I for one have ever experienced. Moniz was soon gone in the New Year, which left us conforming to the stereotype that we are indeed a managerial roller-coaster of a club.

Three different managers, just 5 away wins, and a staggering 83 goals conceded, 5 of those coming against local rivals Mansfield Town, the less said about that, the better. A squad so saturated in lacklustre performances, and lacking in any desire or firepower, had killed the spirits of all Magpie fans.

Happily though, the cloud looks to be moving away from the Lane, former Plymouth Argyle and Chesterfield manager John Sheridan has come in, and addressed all of the uncertainties and issues that cost us the ultimate prize last term. We have recruited leaders, players who know the league well and have been successful in it, players who can get Meadow Lane back to the glory days and rocking again.

Sheridan's simple, attacking mindset has been music to Notts fans' ears, and the club look very much destined for a tremendous campaign this time around.

However, it is very difficult to expect anything at Notts, after the demise of the board and humiliating losses to the likes of Salford City in the FA Cup for instance, mainly it was a case of a phrase myself and other supporters have become accustomed too, 'Typical Notts'.

Here, I outline three things that I'm expecting this season, under Sheridan's revolution.

A solid 3-5-2 formation.

Anybody could identify our weakness last year, instead of coming to Meadow Lane fearful of our ability as a team, far too often teams were coming and leaving with all 3 points, not by luck, but in sheer dominance. Shipping 83 goals is an embarrassment in itself, let alone the dismal 17th placed finish.

But Sheridan has come in and addressed that to say the least, Port Vale captain Carl Dickinson, Richard Duffy and Haydn Hollis have formed a formidable back 3 that has looked calm and composed against the likes of Nottingham Forest and Walsall in pre-season. Adding new recruits Michael O'Connor and Matt Tootle in front of them too, the core of the Notts team has been very much sustained.

Richard Duffy is an exceptional reader of the game, when the ball is loose, you can guarantee that the angry Welshman will pounce on the ball and spray the ball out wide to the wing backs. He looks to be an impressive coup for us in black and white.

Defensively, Sheridan has proved that he is adaptable, both a back three and back four have been in operation this pre-season, however it looks to be the 352 option that is his sweet tooth. This gives us plenty of lines of attack.

Stanley Aborah to play behind the two strikers.

In what was a gruelling campaign for all of us Magpies last term, Stanley Aborah was the jewel amongst the rubble for us last term.

In my eyes, he is arguably the best player to grace the Meadow Lane turf for a decade or so, with his sheer calmness and brilliance on the ball. he can control the tempo of the game with ease, and his return to the starting 11 after a fall out with Moniz's predecessor Jamie Fullarton, would have sparked joy in Notts fans' hearts, being as I for one never thought I would see the former Ajax man feature in a black and white shirt again.

Regarded as one of League Two's most talented players, Aborah is set to operate as a attacking midfielder this term, as opposed to the dominant holding midfield role he possessed last campaign. He rarely ever gives away the ball, and Sheridan sees the Belgian man as key asset to us, and can spearhead our charge to promotion this season.

Jonathan Forte and Jon Stead to reach double figures each, at the very least.

After £150,000 man Izale McLeod underperformed hugely last season, despite netting 9 times, Sheridan has once again addressed the issues plagued on Notts fans' minds, by bringing in Jonathan Forte, a man who is no stranger to Meadow Lane, after enduring three loan spells with us already.

But now the former Oldham striker is back, and for good, penning a permanent deal with us, after working closely with Sheridan in his tenure at Boundary Park. Combining his pace and presence upfront with our top scorer from last campaign, Jon Stead, the two will be a formidable partnership in League Two this year.

Sheridan has clearly established that he wants his strikers to be strikers, and stay up top and score goals, and has said that every club he has always had a 20 goal a season man, we think of Jack Lester at Chesterfield, and Reuben Reid at Plymouth. Forte at 30, and Stead at 33, both know the game so well, and their wealth of experience and knowledge of the league will prove a catalyst of all our successes this term, they could be a lethal concoction.

So when I'm looking down from the Kop this season, I don't want to see anything else apart from desire, pride and commitment.

However, I suppose the main thing to expect is promotion, let's not kid ourselves. We have had some fantastic memories over the past few years, Neal Bishop's header vs Manchester City, Alan Sheehan's penalty against Oldham, I still get goosebumps watching that now.

Now, all I want to see is an "Ohhh Stanley Aborah" free kick to nestle into the top corner away at Newport on the last game of the season, to confirm that the title is ours.

COYP.

So...what do you think Notts fans? Where will we finish this year? How many goals will Jonathan Forte score this year? Let us know in the comments below!