Football Season Guide

The past season started slowly for De Graafschap, as they won only 1 of the initial 5 games played and needed 3 more months before setting their foot on the top 4, which was their real ambition. Once there, though, they maintained the position, weeks 25 and 26 apart, until the end, finishing 4th and presenting themselves with a promotion playoff spot. Almere City proved too much for them in the playoffs, though, outlining what had been their main weakness all over the season: their defensive fragility. In fact, while they held one of the best attacks of the league, with 74 goals scored – despite losing Boersma and van der Heide in the winter -, they just conceded way too many goals, 58 – even more than 15th-placed Vitesse – keeping 6 clean sheets only. Some say “never change a winning team” but at De Graafschap things work differently and they literally dismantled the squad over the summer. 11 players left, and 7 of them were all starting material. Moreover, coach Dijkhuisen was let go while highly respectable Thomas Duivenvoorden, who was his assistant after doing wonders at Quick Boys, took the reins of the team. Surprisingly enough, it was not the defence which underwent the major changes but the attack. The likes of striker Eggens, wingers Simons and El Kadiri and, last but not least, their top scorer attacking midfielder Niemeijer, 19 goals and 5 assists, have all gone. Striker Van Zijl, coming off a promising season at Venlo, is the sole offensive player signed so far. At the back, right-back Martens returned to his parent club and was duly replaced by Pabai, back to Dutch football after 5 years, while centre-backs Kok and Bultman also left with Bolk arriving from Emmen and Hardeman set to become a protagonist. In the midfield, Gijselhart left for pastures new while Warmerdam and Leemans arrived and Smits is expected to return to full form after a complicated campaign.