Football Season Guide

ADO Den Haag

In


Delano Ladan (att)(TOP Oss, end of loan); Milan Van Ewijk (def)(Excelsior Maasluis); Nick Kuipers (def)(FC Emmen, end of loan); Hennos Asmelash (def)(TOP Oss, end of loan)

Out


Sheraldo Becker (k)(att)(Union Berlin); Melvyn Lorenzen (sp)(att)(released); Giovanni Troupée (def)(FC Utrecht, end of loan); Ricardo Kishna (att)(Lazio, end of loan); Trevor David (def)(released); Kyle Ebecilio (mid)(released)

Thanks to a bright second half of the season and an even more impressive finish, ADO Den Haag managed to achieve a quiet safety in the past campaign, coming real close to qualify to the Europa League playoffs. With coach Alfons Groenendijk duly confirmed at the helm for the fourth year in a row, they were not particularly active during the summer transfer campaign. In fact, they mainly let go a few players who had failed to become protagonists during the past season, such as Troupée, David, Ebecilio and Kishna. The right winger Becker, whose goals and assists were fundamental for their salvation, is the sole key player to have gone, unfortunately, while the attack was also depleted by Lorenzen's departure, a forward whose campaign was plagued by too many injuries, though. More bad news could arrive up-front if El Khayati, their most prolific scorer and assist-man, quits for pastures new, which seems likely as he is currently at odds with the club. In terms of new arrivals, ADO Den Haag had some players returning to base after being loaned away. Kuipers, who had a mixed season at FC Emmen, is a potential starter in the heart of the defence, while Asmelash is a jolly who can be adapted both as right-back and midfielder. ADO are clearly missing some strengthening in the attack, at the moment they are testing the experienced Michiel Kramer, and El Khayati's departure could leave them with some serious problems.

Target


If ADO build on all the good done in the second half of last season, they could really compete for a place in the Europa League playoffs but need to solve the problems in the attack sometime soon. Otherwise, a quiet salvation seems more likely.