Football Season Guide

Antwerp played a really good season last year and stayed competitive all the way until the end, clinching a deserved spot in Europe after being part of the top three for most of the campaign, mixing some good attacking football with defensive assurance and determination. The Good Old will be looking for further progress this season and will even dream of putting themselves in among the top sides in a tussle for the big trophy. That may sound a bit too ambitious but the fact that the squad is pretty much intact compared to last season is very much a bonus. The likes of Diemruci Mbokani, Faris Haroun and Sinan Bolat will be looking to keep up the performance levels from last season, when they were the bedrock of the team. Richie de Last is the main new signing and he is a pretty good player for the Jupiler League to have as a full-back option. The main issue going to the season seems to be the lack of depth in a couple of areas, especially in attack, where Mbokani has little alternative. It remains to be seen also whether Junior Pius, one of the new signings, is ready to have impact early on after the departure of veteran Jelle van Damme. As a whole, Antwerp have the look of a side that is ready to compete at the top end of the table and in Laszlo Boloni they have a very experienced and wily coach who knows the team well and how to get the most out of it.