Football Season Guide

Difficult last season saw the Canaries struggle most of the way. Very slow start and poor form in February-March, left Sint-Truiden in the bottom 4. Play-off III was tough but the bold decision to change managers in April paid off. Experienced Wouter Vrancken inspired the squad just enough for the last 3 rounds and this saw Sint-Truiden winning Play-off III and staying in the top flight. Adriano Bertaccini carried the team for most of the campaign. His 15 league goals turned him into an indispensable player that for now remains at the club. He will be the main hope up front. The talented left winger Loïc Lapoussin arrived late in the winter and also helped a lot. Before joining the Canaries he was a regular starter for champions Union Saint-Gilloise, only disciplinary issues saw him sold, so he has the potential to become a cornerstone player for Vrancken. Godeau and Lamkel Ze played bad roles last season. Both distracted and upset teammates, staff and fans on countless occasions. Releasing them was the right move and hopes are that going forward the dressing room will be much more united. The main left wing-back Ogawa returned to Japan but his countryman Hata has been signed so he will compete with veteran Juklerød for a starting spot. The team’s best centre-back Taniguchi got hurt very early on last season and then missed the rest of the campaign. Hopes are he can stay healthy now. If he plays Sint-Truiden on average concede 1.2 fewer goals, so monitoring his condition during the season will be important. The heart of the midfield will have a Japanese feel to it. At least two of Ito, Yamamoto and Matsuzawa should be playing a lot.