Football Season Guide

Zulte Waregem endured another season of mediocrity and drifting into crisis last season as they were way too poor for extended periods and only a few decent results during the midway of the campaign kept them abreast in the battle to steer clear of the bottom two. That poor run in the spring was not enough to keep caretaker Timmy Simmons in the job and now Mbaye Leye comes over as a new permanent manager, the first one since 2011, when Francky Dury took over and lasted just over ten years, before being sacked. Leye did serve as a Dury assistant a few years ago and he is expected to pick up from his mentor and try to make Essevee a fast-paced, aggressive and direct opponent that likes to play on the front foot. There are quite a few new additions to the squad as some young players from abroad were signed up with the hope of realising their potential with extended game time. Nicolas Rommens is the one signing coming from Belgium and he looked very good for RWDM last season, while Borja Lopez is an established centre-back that should give the squad more stability at the back. The squad does feel lighter after most of the on-loan players have moved on and indeed a bit more depth is needed in some areas, most notably on the wings. Up front, Jelle Vossen and Zinho Gano worked great as a tandem last season and were the team's two best players but it remains to be seen how the coach fits them both into his system. However, there is some room for optimism about Leye and this version of a Zulte Waregem side that needed a bit of refreshment and may well finally get it this summer.