Is this the year of the Man City bounceback?

I GET KNOCKED DOWN... Manchester City's Omar Marmoush during training session at the City Football Academy. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

There's something in the air around east Manchester, and it is not just the persistent threat of drizzle in an otherwise long, hot summer.

The dark clouds that hung over the Etihad campus for most of last season have been replaced by rays of sunshine and an atmosphere of optimism that Manchester City can reclaim their crown.