Football Season Guide

The headlines on the blue-and-white side of Linz pre-season were all about how the club was going to end up missing Koch, and how Ronivaldo's age was starting to catch up with him. The club listened to those voices though, and have addressed both concerns rather well, and thus are hoping to improve upon merely avoiding relegation last season (which they did rather well, for the record). Koch was not the only big name to leave with fellow midfield regular Krainz moving on too. Other than that, it was just bit-part players like Windhager and Haudum, who can be easily replaced. They were concerned they'd lose Simon Pirkl but he inked a new deal in early July so they're actually better off than they thought they'd be. Recruitment-wise, they've done really well. Both Moorman and Ibertsberger(!) have arrived to provide competition for Pirkl (Moorman could eventually be used at LCB if a WB formation is used again), Anderson has arrived to strengthen their RB/RWB role, Aristot Tambwe-Kasengele is a very talented CB (with some attitude issues though), as is Oliver Wähling, and Goiginger/Schmidt have joined to improve their attacking output - both good acquisitions. All of their newbies barring Dantas and Wähling know this league well. They're likely to encounter a bit of a slow start due to integrating newbies. Furthermore, Oliver Wähling has had a number of issues that have left doctors baffled, even being hospitalised as a result. Cannot currently train due to not having control of his legs - suspected spinal problem. Joao Luiz remains a long-term absentee. Strauss has a shoulder problem too, so their defence may be a little imbalanced at the start of the season. With time though, this group should gel well. The club will want to at least push for a European place next season, and if things go as they should, then it's possible. Relegation should not even be something this group is worried about.