IT doesn't matter how long I have been working in football, I still look forward to the new season just as much as any fan I know.

I love the ups and the downs you get through every campaign and was eager for it to get back under way.

Some Bury fans gave me a bit of friendly stick on social media after I sounded a note of caution on North West Tonight last Friday, before the Shakers beat Charlton in the opening game.

I was asked my opinion on every team in the region, whether they would win promotion, be pushing for promotion or a title, be comfortable in mid table or would struggle.

It is hard, as a fan of a club, to be brutally honest, but that's what I get paid to do and had to admit that I thought they would struggle.

I couldn't have been happier to be proved wrong when David Flitcroft men's sent the Addicks packing and claimed a first opening-day win in eight years.

I'm not about to change my opinion on the strength of one game, but if Flicker can use comments from doubters like me to inspire his troops, as he said after Saturday's win, then I'm only too happy to help.

My concerns are based on the sale of the two Clarkes.

Any team would suffer if they lost the experience that both Peter and Leon bring to a side, only time will tell what kind of impact their departures will have.

Peter Clarke was voted player of last season, but Flicker has been able to bring in other defenders and they earned a clean sheet against Charlton.

The Bury boss admitted, however, that replacing Leon Clarke at this late stage is nigh on impossible.

It's true that clean sheets are important, but goals win you games.

Losing a striker that can pretty much guarantee 18 or 20 goals a season is a massive blow, whichever way you look at it, but maybe in a funny way it can make the squad tighter.

Other players will have to stand up and take on some of the goalscoring burden.

Tom Pope, for example, spent last season in the shadow of Leon Clarke. I know he has been put on the transfer list, but I would not be surprised if that was a purely financial decision - maybe Bury could not afford to keep both players on their books.

It could also have been the kick up the backside that Popey needed to fire.

Tom has proven before he can score 20 goals a season, now, like the Bury squad as a whole, maybe he will go out and prove the doubters wrong.

If he can do that, I would be more than happy to hold my hands up and admit I was wrong.