CITY kick off their 2016/17 Championship season on Saturday with a home game against newly promoted Wigan Athletic (3pm).

The Latics had a slow start last season but ran away convincing winners of the League One title, just as City did the year before.

Wigan will undoubtedly be looking to catch teams cold early in the season and spring a few surprises and so this is a dangerous fixture for City.

They’ve made some decent signings in Nick Powell, Ryan Taylor and Stephen Warnock and certainly seem best equipped of the promoted teams to handle life in the Championship.

And it’s been a busy summer for City, meanwhile, with a total of seven signings coming through the door at Ashton Gate over the past couple of months.

This is in stark contrast to the disaster of last summer. City’s permanent signings are goalkeeper Ivan Lucic, defender Hordur Magnusson, midfielders Josh Brownhill, Diego De Girolama, Callum O’Dowda and the most popular signing of the summer, forward Lee Tomlin.

City also secured the services of right back Adam Matthews who re-signs on loan for the season.

Along with Matthews, who proved to be a solid addition last season, the most significant signings are certainly the three that City paid good money for – Tomlin, O’Dowda and Magnusson.

The latter is thought to be City’s record signing, costing around £2.5m from Juventus.

Despite not featuring in Iceland’s Euro 2016 campaign, Magnusson comes with pedigree and Serie A experience.

O’Dowda signed from League One Oxford United for a fee of around £1.6m.

He is on the brink of breaking into the Republic of Ireland national team at the age of just 21.

Finally, Tomlin needs no introduction to City fans after his successful loan spell in the second half of last season.

For me, he is one of the best players in the Championship and he will undoubtedly be producing more champagne moments in the forthcoming season.

We’ve recruited well this summer but key to a successful start will be how well the new players bed in, particularly Magnusson at the back, and also whether some of our key existing players like Kodjia and Flint can continue their good form of last season.

As it stands, I would happily take a season of comfortable survival in the middle of the table, in what is an extremely tough division.