Football Season Guide

Roda have a glorious past behind their backs but in the recent seasons they have been incapable of seriously fighting for a long yearned-for return to the Eredivisie. Truth be said, the last season had started on a positive note as they finished 4th in the Eerste Divisie first period and even made the 3rd spot come early November. Then, they were hit by an injury crisis and consistency faded away as results got worse. In particular, while they were one of the best travelling sides, winning 10 and losing only 3, Roda managed to win only 1 out of the last 12 home games. Moreover, they threw away too many points from vantage situations, ending up drawing 13 times, more than anyone else in the league. Thanks to a solid defence, though, the 4th-best with 54 goals conceded, they made the 8th spot and obtained a qualification to the promotion playoffs but they did not go far, being eliminated from the first round by RKC Waalwijk following a penalty shootout. With Kevin Van Dessel gone, Roda opted for an original move, hiring 51-year-old Rob Penders, recently an assistant at FC Utrecht, at his second experience as head coach following a life spent in the junior teams. Penders will have to deal with a squad heavily impoverished following the transfer campaign. In fact, they lost 14 players, while only 4 arrived. Among the gone players, starting left-back Kother and Starting attacking midfielder Schwirten should not be overly missed after spending most of the last season sidelined. On the other hand, the attack saw the departure of Key winger Breij, 10 goals and 4 assists, together with fellow wingers Kalinauskas, Griffith, Takidine and Maiorano and back-up strikers Cooper-Love, 7 goals and 2 assists, and Weidesheim-Paul. Striker Khaldi may represent a good signing but not for a starting berth yet and they are certainly undermanned in the department. Elsewhere, they signed a couple of potentially valid left-backs in Van den Berg and Marsman while Dorenbosch could become a protagonist in the middle of the park.