Football Season Guide

In recent years Heracles Almelo have built a solid reputation as a mid-table team, each year fighting for one of the last spots to reach the playoffs. Last season was no exception, they fought until the end for the playoffs, but then finished in 9th position. Perhaps they went slightly beyond expectations, as they had sold some of their best players, but experienced coach Frank Wormuth once again managed to create a competitive team, always fielding the usual 4-3-3. This transfer window is less worrying because, at least so far, they have made few changes. The most important has occurred in defence with the retirement of captain Tim Breukers and the move of their best defender Robin Propper to rivals Twente. Moreover, Teun Bijleveld and Jeff Hardeveld joined the newly relegated Emmen and goalkeeper Robin Jalving and striker Nikolai Laursen went to Almelo. Perhaps the best "purchase" was the return to the pitch of strong right-back Navajo Bakboord, absent in the last season and a half due to a serious knee injury. In the 4-3-3 of coach Wormuth in front of Blaswich the two central defenders will be Knoester and Rente, as full-backs Backboord and on the left Quagliata, or alternatively the newcomer Roosken. In midfield Orestis, Schoofs, De la Torre and Ibrahimoglu will alternate, while in attack the only essential is Vloet, for the rest the coach has ample choice, even if the only centre-forwards are Szöke and Bakis who last year failed to live up to expectations.