Football Season Guide

It was closer than they'd have liked, but they eventually managed to avoid relegation by finishing 4th in the Relegation Group. It wasn't a great campaign but they rallied magnificently toward the end of the season, and their mid-season recruits helped them a lot. Now the battle starts again, and most likely without wing-back Italiano, at least at the start - he was involved with Australia at the World Cup, and picked up an injury too. Cohesion could be an issue due to the volume of changes pre-season. They've made a lot of changes, which was always going to happen. They lost some really important players, and had to act on that. Jano spent a lot of last season injured, but he and Harakate were their chief creative threats, and they've lost both in this window. Midfield engines Schiestl and Olesen, and shot stopper Stolz left too. Still, the players they've brought in look good. The loan move of Owusu was made permanent - common sense. He'll fetch a big fee in due course. Experienced CM Michorl is back in Austria, and is the perfect replacement for Olesen. Liam Hermesh is another option they've acquired. They've also bolstered both WB positions with Trummer, Gragger, and Anderson. That has been a problem in recent years so it's great business, as well as making Klassen's loan move permanent. They're perhaps a little thin on the ground with CB depth, at least in terms of players that are proven at this level. Markovic will need to start strongly for that issue to be avoided. The big problem they'll have this season is putting the ball in the net, as always. Maderner and Hofleitner - well, you know what you get from them, but it's not creativity. They'll be physical. Therefore, new forward Smits - a risky acquisition - and new playmaker Guerti have got to do the business, and that's a risk. Grosse can contribute more, and should. Lichtenberger is the same. None of them are consistent in front of goal though. Few teams in Austria play with this team's energy. However, an average squad with an inconsistent attack isn't going to spring too many surprises. They should be able to avoid the drop, but getting the club back to being great still seems a long way off.