JAKE Wright is focused on ensuring the feelgood factor at Oxford United continues as they begin the Sky Bet League Two season at home to Crawley Town today.

A strong finish to last season brightened the mood at the club and spirits have been raised further by a summer which has seen popular signings, lower season ticket prices and a successful pre-season camp in Austria.

The U’s skipper, right, who thinks the squad is the strongest he has seen at the club, believes the relationship between players and supporters is the closest it has been for years and is determined to carry the momentum on to the pitch.

He said: “It’s not just Austria, even before that just from seeing people around you could tell they were more optimistic.

“Everyone seems to be in a really good place and we just need to make sure we start well.

“I think they appreciate what the chairman’s done to bring the players and fans together.

“It’s what we want to take into the season.

“It’s been a long time coming now and everyone just wants to get on that pitch.

“It’s perfect to have a home game to start.”

He added: “It’s the most optimistic I’ve been since maybe when we came up from the Conference (in 2010).

“If we start with the form we had in the final 15 games of last season I think we’ll be up there.”

Finding a way to consistently get results at home will be vital to United’s chances of living up to their billing as one of the division’s promotion contend- ers.

Wright is well aware it is an issue and after a summer where preparation has gone smoothly the centre back knows it is now over to the players.

He said: “We can’t hide from the fact we need to be more consistent at home.

“That’s been a massive problem for us since I’ve been here and in certain years if it had been a little better we would’ve got in the play-offs because our away form has always been quite good.”

He added: “Everyone involved has done as much as they can so we’ve got no excuses.

“The club is being run the best it’s ever been, everything is so professional and the players are getting looked after better than ever before.

“We have no excuses, if we don’t start achieving as players we can’t look back and say ‘this or that wasn’t right’.

“It’s down to us now.”