Football Season Guide

Just about limped into the European places last season courtesy of TSV Hartberg running out of steam. Didn't play well enough to warrant it, but edged the play-off, very much at the mercy of the wave. Unusually, they've brought too many players in during the transfer window. They wanted a new face in attack though, and have opted for Adamsen, whom the manager knows well. It's a risk - he's never played at this level before, and nobody else in this squad is consistent in front of goal - Mbuyi is the closest to that, but he can't stay fit anymore. One bit of business this summer perfectly surmised the poor decision-making at the club as they paid to bring Bajlicz back from SV Ried, having only sold him at the start of last season. Now they've opted to sell LB/LWB Böckle, who absolutely shone at WSG Tirol last season, and at a time when they're struggling for depth in this position. It's one of numerous decisions that could come back to haunt them. They've cut loose some deadwood pre-season, which is advantageous - some big salaries are off their books now. Loaning Weixelbraun out for match practice was smart too. In terms of outgoings, they've got everything right. They've not really done enough to convince anyone that they be in the title race though. They're still plagued by injuries, suspensions, and inconsistency. It's difficult to envision this season going especially well for them. They need a couple of younger players to step up and carry the team, and it's a big ask of them, especially with the likes of Nunoo still battling injury. That's especially true because they struggled a lot in terms of creativity toward the end of last season with Dahl not looking 100%. The general consensus is that they lack direction and belief, both on and off the pitch. On paper, this is unquestionably a team that could win the title. In reality, they'd need an awful lot of luck to make that happen.