Football Season Guide

Heidenheim are having another calm summer with very little activity in terms of transfers and long-serving coach Frank Schmidt believes that this is a good thing which could allow his team to finally challenge seriously for promotion to the top flight. The only players that left the squad so far were those whose loans ended, with the only notable departure being that of the last season's top goalscorer Kleindienst. To respond to that, Schmidt signed two new centre forwards, Dovedan and Glatzel, plus the aggressive winger Thiel so Heidenheim should be able to score plenty of goals once again. The fact that the main core of the squad remains unchanged for a fourth consecutive season is only a good thing and Heidenheim are one of the sides expected to hit the ground running as their synchrony is probably better than anybody’s. Muller will continue in goal while the extremely solid centre-backs ,Kraus and Wittek, hope that the injury problems from last season are behind them now and, if they are fit, Heidenheim tend to keep a clean sheet at least once in every three rounds. Feick will continue to be preferred at left-back, while for the other flank Philp and Strauss are in fierce competition for a starting place. Three of the four places in midfield are guaranteed for Titsch-Rivero, Griesbeck and the extremely influential captain Schnatterer, while for the role of a right winger the competition will be between all of Halloran, Thiel, Skarke and Thomalla. Theuerkauf is also a very useful player that can play equally well in the middle of the park and in the heart of the defence and, despite not having a huge squad, Heidenheim look well prepared for the new season. Between them, Verhoek and the two new strikers will have to provide the goods up front, with the Dutchman Verhoek likely to be the preferred starter in the early rounds.