Football Season Guide

Coming from a highly disappointing season. 'Leões' failed to finish in the top-3, which is always a sign of a very poor season. Sporting dropped too many points in the first part of the season (5 defeats in the first 15 rounds). Rúben Amorim is expected to keep his trademark 3-4-2-1 formation for the next season, with Coates still the leader of the back-3. The biggest addition for the new season is the record-breaking transfer sum Gyokeres. The Swedish striker arrives from English football and will provide something that Sporting never had during Amorim's leadership: a true, classic striker. The midfielder area looks the most worrying one, as main reference Ugarte left to France. With Paulinho, Trincão and Edwards available to play close to Gyokeres in attack, Pedro 'Pote' Gonçalves should be dropping to his original midfielder position. There is also the return of Daniel Bragança, who spent the entire last season under treatment. At the back, it will be crucial that Jerry St.-Juste spends less time on the medical department, because his pace will be crucial to help the team play with a higher defensive line.