Football Season Guide

Lokeren are once again likely to meander in mid-table after another mostly unspectacular close season. The Tricolores were predominantly underwhelming last season, only showing some attacking pedigree in the meaningless play-off games in the last month, and generally there is just not enough quality in their ranks these days. Mehdi Terki looks like a good player in midfield but there are hardly any other players with promise and quality about them. There are too many old players who are well past their best these days, with Steven de Ridder, Tom de Sutter, Killian Overmeire and Koen Persoons all on substantial wages but offering little output last season. Runar Kristinsson has tried to bolster the squad and managed to quickly bring in a couple of good players like Luciano Slagveer and Stefano Marzo, both coming from Heerenveen, but they do not look capable on their own of turning this modest and average side into one challenging for the top-six places again. The other new additions hardly inspire much confidence and optimism. They just look like decent players who are unlikely to make too much of a difference. Guus Hupperts showed signs of real quality at times last season and the hope is that he becomes someone who can have a consistently good output from the wing. Generally, Lokeren seem stuck in this position as a side in mid-table that is clearly too good to get dragged down into the mire, but is also seemingly incapable of pushing further at the moment. At the least, they can hope for some stability in the management position after mid-season changes in the past two years. Rúnar Kristinsson has done nothing too spectacular so far after taking over in November but he has been an assured and studying presence. He will be motivated to develop this side and bring more excitement in the season ahead.