Football Season Guide

The air of unease at the club continues to fester with no really convincing additions to prevent them from another embarrassing bottom-half finish, which is what happened last season. Change is needed at this club but it's not yet clear whether boss Maassen is the one that is best-equipped to do so or not. Based on last season, it seems unlikely to be the case. They're likely to find the start of the season particularly hard with CB hard-man Vallci banned for a match, and increasingly important midfielder Daschner having dislocate his kneecap, ruling him out until October or so. They've not convinced in pre-season friendlies, and it's not hard to see why. Daschner's conversion from loan to a permanent transfer was great news for the club but it was the only really convincing signing so him being injured now is somewhat anticlimactic. The question has to be asked as to where the goals will come from this season too. Geubbels is very capable but also very injury-prone, and with the Nsame experiment having failed, the club unable to convince Akolo to sign a new contract, and Mambimbi having moved on, they find themselves short of options. Midfield seems solid enough as long as Gortler can stay fit. Neziri has returned from his loan spell to negate the constant spate of injuries suffered by fellow countryman Fazliji, which should stop them from getting overrun. It should also free up the likes of Witzig and Konietzke to do what they do best in the final third to boot, although who will put the ball in the net is another matter. Defence is a cause for concern too. Diaby leaving was not the end of the world, not with Gaal joining, but they're still often without CBs due to injury and/or suspension. Furthermore, they're still short of a solid, reliable left-back if Okoroji is out (Yannick is too erratic), which he is more often than they'd like to admit. Their defence is too frequently exposed by their style of play too, and even Neziri's return is unlikely to counteract such. Boukhalfa should help them be a bit less predictable in the final third but it's not really what they needed. They needed another striker but none seem to be on the horizon. Given their constant struggles away from home and the numerous changes they're still making, it looks like another unconvincing campaign is on the horizon.