Football Season Guide

St.Polten are coming from a disastrous season which saw them manage to stay up only due to changes in the Bundesliga system. Finishing bottom in the Bundesliga normally results in direct relegation, but the Wolf Pack got to play Neustadt in the Play-outs and stayed up after claiming an aggregate win. It was therefore mission accomplished for Didi Kuhbauer, who took over late in the previous campaign. The former Admira and Wolfsberger manager has done a good job so far, but his next goal will be to make his side far more competitive than they were last season, which saw them collect only 20 points in 36 Bundesliga matches. Unsurprisingly, Kuhbauer has decided to conduct a squad clear-out. Several fringe players left, but there were several players that St.Polten were simply unable to keep hold of, such as Manuel Martic and David Atanga. Unlike many other Bundesliga clubs, the Wolf Pack have opted against looking for diamonds in the rough and have signed mostly players that have Bundesliga pedigree. Daniel Drescher, Stephan Palla and Issiaka Ouedraogo are men who Kuhbauer is well acquainted with due to his time with Wolfsberger, while, in Rene Gartler, St.Polten have signed an experienced striker who could provide some steady finishing, which is something they badly missed last time around. The Wolf Pack certainly know that they need to do better than they did last time around if they are to stay up and they have done plenty to make sure that this will not be the case. They have a proven manager in charge now and their squad certainly looks stronger than the one they had last time around.