Football Season Guide

Finished tenth last season. A respectable outcome for a team that was only promoted to Thai League One last season. Started their campaign brilliantly but faded into mediocrity. Had the campaign gone on for longer than it did, they may have been involved in the relegation battle. Their crowning achievement of last season was when they reached the semi-finals of the Thai FA Cup, although neighbours Buriram United crushed them 5-0. Made a few big losses pre-season, and they had to expect to lose loanee Promsoboon when his loan ended. From the outside looking in though, losing veteran CB Wellington Priori looked avoidable - they're going to miss him this season. They've brought in Brito and Kerkez at CB but there's no telling how well they'll adjust. Yashir Islame, Diego Carioca, Caique Lemes, and Paulo Conrado will be the biggest losses - their attack has significantly weakened. They've made some interesting acquisitions ahead of this campaign though. They've taken a few punts on players from the lower leagues in Thailand, but also some more established players like Phutonyong from Chiangrai United, Mota from Lamphun Warriors, and Mita from Nakhon Ratchasima. Goal-scoring was arguably their biggest problem last season, which is why they've seen fit to loan Keereeleang from True Bangkok United. Capable of playing out wide or through the middle, he should be an invaluable asset. Their main striker should be Willen Mota though, arguably their biggest pre-season transfer coup. Lucas Serafim is a relative unknown but they have high hopes. With Jantawong having joined on loan to keep things ticking over in midfield, the team should remain competitive in their matches, enough to to preserve their stay in Thai League One for a little while longer, especially if experienced ex-Buriram United man Pathompon Charoenrattanapirom settles in quickly - he could become a key player for them. A lot will hinge upon how well their defence galvanises though. That's where they've made the most changes, and taken the most risks. They're either going to need to keep teams out better, or start scoring more goals to offset those they'll inevitably concede.