Football Season Guide

Werder Bremen will be looking to put behind what was an underwhelming campaign last season and re-establish themselves as a top half side this time around. After a hugely successful end to 2014-15 season under Viktor Skrypnyk, Bremen went into the last campaign dreaming of challenging for a top seven finish but their season quickly unraveled and they only just managed to keep their heads above the water as the season drew to a close. Despite coming under increasing pressure over the course of the season, coach Viktor Skrypnyk has managed to hold on to his job but will be aware that it will only take a poor start by his side for the speculation to start again. Bremen have seen a few players leave the club over the summer but only Jannik Vestergaard can be considered as a key absence, with the defender sold to Borussia Monchengladbach. Anthony Ujah had lost his place in the starting lineup to veteran striker Claudio Pizarro in the second half of last season and has since moved on to Chinese side Liaoning FC. There have been other departures as well with Alejandro Galvez, Levin Oztunali, Assani Lukimya, Papy Djilobodji and Ozkan Yildirim all leaving the club. Bremen have wasted no time bringing bodies in and Max Kruse represents their best signing so far, with the striker arriving from Wolfsburg. With Vestergaard and Djilobodji leaving the club, Bremen are without their first choice central defensive pairing from last season and Niklas Moisander, Fallou Diagne and Lamine Sane will be fighting out for a place in the starting lineup along with Luca Caldirola who has returned to the club following the end of loan stint at Darmstadt. With Thomas Delaney and Florian Kainz boosting the options in the midfield and Aron Johannsson looking to put behind an injury-hit campaign from last season, expectations are once again high at Weserstadion and Skrypnyk will be aware that anything less than a top half finish will be considered a failure by both the board and the fans come the end of the season