Football Season Guide

Last season was very disappointing for them. They only managed to finish fifth in the Thai League One table as they failed to adequately handle competing on multiple fronts. Subsequently, they'll only be playing domestic football this season, which is not ideal for a club of their size. Changes were required, and were thus made. Alhaft, Kunori, Praisuwan, Tamma, Zivkovioc were the regulars to leave. Zivkovic's injury problems were the fundamental reason behind his departure, but the others simply didn't deliver regularly enough. They made some big acquisitions though, bringing in the likes of Felipe Santos in midfield, out wide, and then Marc Cardona/Willian Popp up front. Cardona was the last to join so he hasn't had much of a pre-season - he may need longer than the others. They've not just signed good players to lead them to a title challenge, but also good rotation options for when injuries dog them. Strauss is a great example of such, who can play in pretty much any position on the pitch. There are also hopes that Autra - whose loan move was made permanent - can become a key player for them. The arrival of Caceres as playmaker should allow them greater precision with chance creation in the final third. Given the ample talent that will be playing alongside him, they should logically score plenty of goals. They're optimistic that Ki-je will be able to improve their LB position. It's their CBs that are more worrisome though, as without the departed Bihr they no longer have a solid understudy for Everton/Maia should foreigner regulations creep up on them. They'll want to push for the title, and given that they don't have any continental football this season, there's no excuse for them failing to try. It's unlikely they'll be consistent enough to truly compete with Buriram United though. In what is likely to become a battle for a continental finish, it's possible that the team is too top-heavy to come out on top against the likes of Ratchaburi, BG Pathum United etc. although they'll be playing on the continent so the door isn't closed. Tough to call. Capable, but perhaps not as consistent as they should be.