This time last year, pessimism surrounded Watford.
Yaser Asprilla and Ismail Kone had been sold for over £20m to balance the books and Hornets fans weren't ecstatic about the incomings.
The 2023-24 season had ended poorly with the club finishing 15th and expectations were low. Relegation fears were in the air among fans and pundits alike.
Twelve months on and there's a different feeling around Vicarage Road. The Hornets did better than expected under Tom Cleverley, who nevertheless paid the price for a poor second half of last season.
As it stands the two stars of the team have remained - Giorgi Chakvetadze and Kwadwo Baah - as well as some of the other solid performers from last season.