After the appetiser of the group stages of the Viaplay Cup, the main course gets served up this afternoon with the resumption of league football across the country.
Inevitably, most attention will be focused on the Premiership, and as has been the case for most of the last century and a half, the top-flight title will be contested by Celtic and Rangers.
Sadly, the days of the Dons and others putting up more than a fleeting challenge are long gone, and by the time we are two months down the line, the Glasgow sides will almost certainly have all but disappeared over the horizon.
Like last season, when the Barry Robson inspired revival saw them overtake Hearts, I would expect Aberdeen to finish in third place, and it would be nice to think they might get a little closer than the 35 points they trailed in behind runners-up Rangers.
But let’s be honest, the likelihood is the chasm will be just as wide, particularly given the demands that will be placed on Barry’s squad.
Eight new signings have arrived, but plenty more have departed Pittodrie, and that has left the manager requiring both quality and quantity if he is to have a squad capable of competing at home and abroad.
Whether the club ends up in the Europa or Conference League, Europe should not be seen just as a financial windfall, but as an opportunity to re-establish Aberdeen on the continent.
If not as a force to be reckoned with, as they were in the past, then at the very least as a team that can compete and reclaim some long lost pride.
To do so, Robson will need the tools, and I have no doubt Dave Cormack will be prepared to back his manager. After the torture inflicted on the Dons support first by Stephen Glass, then Jim Goodwin, the chairman understands only too well the need for a more consistent, more successful campaign.
Dave also knows the importance of this appointment proving to be the right one, and as the man at the helm, he cannot really afford a third successive failure.
The early signs have certainly been good, and in Steve Agnew the manager has a steadying, experienced influence to call on. The pair worked well together after taking up the reins, and the resurgence they oversaw really was quite astonishing, but it is fair to suggest the hard starts here.
Have they got it right over the summer? You have to say the work done so far looks decent, very decent in the shape of Graeme Shinnie and Leighton Clarkson, and securing their returns was a great bit of business.
But there will unquestionably have to be further top-class additions if expectations are to be met.
There is a genuine sense of buoyancy in and around the city right now, as evidenced by the season ticket numbers and the remarkable sales of the new kits, particularly the Northern Lights away top.
What will be key is capitalising on that and maintaining the optimism with a strong start to the league campaign.
This afternoon at Livingston is exactly the sort of fixture the Dons will have to take care of if they are to secure the ‘best of the rest’ title.
Promotion is the aim
It has been a busy summer for us at Cove Rangers with 18 new faces and the move towards full-time football.
As well as recruiting players ready for first team action, the club has also brought in a number of youngsters, a first step towards having a youth academy at Balmoral Stadium.
Planning for the future in that way will be important for Cove going forward, but the more immediate aim will be to secure a return to the Championship. Last season was a tough one, the step-up had come too early, and the club simply wasn’t equipped for the challenge.
The new model offers the opportunity to get it right both behind the scenes and on the pitch, and a number of the signings have already made a real impact.
It will be another demanding campaign, but there seems every reason to believe Paul Hartley’s side will be serious promotion contenders.
