TODAY Newport County report back for pre-season training ahead of what promises to be a hugely exciting and historic campaign in the Conference National.

I’m not going to lie, newswise it’s been very quiet recently, both locally and nationally, so I’ll stick to a subject near and dear to a lot of you: how the Exiles can expect to fare.

I’ll begin by chucking another often stated sporting phrase at you. “The bookies aren’t often wrong.”

Not a cliché, a fact. So perhaps we should just let the bookies tell us where County will finish next term? Their answer is eighth.

As an outsider looking in, I’d find that very hard to argue with.

The Exiles were a solid top ten side last season but in the eyes of a wider public it was easy to assess where it all went wrong for a club who were second in the table on December 28.

County didn’t have the stature to keep their manager who, despite the bitterness surrounding his departure, was a bona fide star for the club. Just as crucially, County sold their best player right at the point when they most needed his goals.

It’s a familiar story from the Premier League down.

This viewpoint is not my own, but in terms of the wider picture is how a supporter with only a casual interest in the club would see things.

Since the end of the season the Exiles have signed a goalkeeper and let a goalkeeper go, with another sure to follow - a likely farewell to a real favourite of mine over the years, Glyn Thompson.

They’ve signed a central defender and they’ve lost a central defender they would happily have kept.

They’ve signed a very highly rated and sought after midfielder, but they also failed to entice Kerry Morgan, another player they were keen to see stay.

Again, I’m not questioning these decisions, I’m trying to explain why the bookies have pitched County as the eighth most likely club to win the league. Basically, they think it’s going to be the same again. Good, but not good enough.

For the record, Luton and Fleetwood are contesting the top spots for the bookies with the likes of Lincoln, York, Mansfield, Darlington and Mansfield ahead of County, along with – wrongly in my view – Wrexham.

So that’s how they see it, but the point I’m getting to is this. It’s fantastic that this is where County are in terms of the expectations of others.

The Exiles shouldn’t want to be like Fleetwood, with huge pressure heaped on by large financial gambles on instant success.

My second point is clear too. County are going to finish higher than eighth and have every chance of enjoying a fabulous season.

There will be no sitting on fences here.

That doesn’t come from someone considering the wider picture. That comes from someone who, like many of you, fixates on the little details at the club.

Craig Reid may have gone but now at Spytty Park is Craig McAllister.

I believe McAllister can come close to replicating Reid’s goal tally. He is a proven commodity in the Conference as late as last season. When you consider the Reid exit, remember that County thought they were getting two proven goalscorers in the Conference as part of the deal. Unfortunately, Yemi Odubade wasn’t a good fit and Charlie Griffin did not appear to be in the right condition to replicate his fabulous goalscoring form from three of the previous four seasons.

There were reasons why things went wrong last season and there are key reasons why I don’t believe they will this time.

The chief reason? The ‘Special One’. Anthony Hudson.

Anthony impressed supporters at the end of last season and it’s been a pleasure working with him and seeing him operate over the summer. He seems to have a very clear picture of what he wants this season. I’ve seen the team sheet he would like on a board in his office.

“We want X for here, for this spot we are thinking about so and so on loan,” simple, concise, intelligent strategy. County have two good left backs, so why would they look to sign a third? Just like you know where County need to strengthen, he does too.

I’ve been heartened by the players signed, heartened by the club’s resolve to retain their key assets and most of all, heartened by Hudson’s sheer dedication. He’s a genuine 24/7 manager.

Hudson may also have an ace in the hole in his assistant. A manager who can find an assistant that can help them look good is a genius. Steve Clarke at Chelsea and Liverpool is a fine example.

I believe Hudson has that in Lee Harrison, just as Holdsworth had it in Matt Bishop. Harrison has years of coaching expertise – a UEFA A license holder at 21 – and has been there and done it at this level of football for the best part of two decades.

They are keen to have a core group of players, I’d expect County to start the season with 21, 22, maybe only 20 players.

But 80% will likely be there at the end of the season. That’s not to say the management team aren’t aware promotion from the Conference involves utilising the loan market and signing players throughout the campaign as and when it is needed.

If you are a supporter worried about how the club are going to line up on the first day of the season, my advice would be to keep the faith and relax.

The Exiles now have a clear back five to start the campaign and can supplement that if they need to.

They have an array of central midfield options and will address the wide areas with the impressive Darryl Knights already signed up.

A striker is probably likely too, but I’m expecting big, big things from Sam Foley this term. He is a great player at this level and he’ll shine a lot brighter this season with injuries hopefully behind him.

We have a mouth-watering pre-season ahead with two Premier League sides visiting and for the first time in a long time, Newport County players will train every day in the same place with a young coach who seems to have the Midas touch in his players’ eyes. Hasn’t every player signed said it was because of Hudson? Otherwise, he must be working with Max Clifford.

They have a director of football who has a huge knowledge base and expertise at this level and who has done a magnificent job in the past of identifying players for the club, a sounding board for Hudson as he feels his way into what can be a tough division.

The bookies have their view, but I believe something better is brewing. I am buying into the prospect of County challenging for automatic promotion and at worst, achieving a playoff spot.

The next few weeks will tell us much and I am looking forward to seeing how Hudson rounds off his squad.

Trust in the manager and believe his vision. But to close with a double cliche, Rome wasn’t built in a day and patience is a virtue.