Another season, but what makes everyone think this one is so special?

So, yesterday we welcomed the first day (well I say first day as I refuse to say that Friday night was the start of the season. In my mind, it hasn't started until the first 3 o'clock Saturday kick-off) and we have yet another day of unrealistic optimism, as if we have something to look forward to this year that made so special compared to last year. No Ronaldo, more experienced youth, I can sort of understand it, the one for me being: less French, I want to say people, but that isn't wuite the right word.

Actually, we had another day of unrealistic optimism. Shall I tell you why? We didn't win 10-0. This season isn't going to be as easy I we had all hoped. Bollocks. Oh well, we can still Twitter our

feelings away to all those others who have to much time on their hands, and need to get lives instead of musing over whether or not they should follow Darren Bent. Well guess what. I don't care. Anyway, back to the football. As I was saying since we didn't beat the promotion favourites 7-1, for example [*COUGH* Well done Colchester at beating Naaaaarch *COUGH*]

it seems now our optimism has disappeared.

For Palace fans, Stern John, on his debut, as is the trend for new Palace strikers, injured himself, meaning it's up to Freddie Sears and Alan Lee to do well. Oh dear. I for one don't like slagging off players, and was pleased at the obvious emotion he showed when he scored yesterday. I just hope for his sake that he can keep it up, because if he can't the Holmesdale Fanatics'll be on his back and they won't get off, even if the Main Stand start singing.

What I don't get is why the over the top opimism. It's like watching Madonna get yet older and more out of tune, and yet as new year ticks over still believing that she has enough to somehow get younger and better at singer. It just won't happen. Partly because she was never really that good anyway, but mainly because it just won't. History should tell you that. It is understandable a team like Man U or Chelsea thinking they might win the Champions League, because it might happen, but for Charlton fans to still grasp the straw helping them back up to the Premier League just is stupid.

Having said that, this season may prove to be amazing. Man U might win everything, Ronaldo might be a flop at Madrid, and Beckham might complete an amazing comeback by scoring England's winning free-kick in the 2010 World Cup. But there is a key word in all that: might. And that is all it is at the moment, a might, or a maybe. So until it happens, please stop insisting without evidence that your club will win everything. Because it just won't happen. Unless you're a Man U fan in which case it's not really your club anyway.

Gibbo