Football Season Guide

Had a difficult season in 2024. Achieved only 5 wins during the regular part of the campaign. This left them in real danger of relegation and nowhere near the top 6. This despite the fact that Oulu’s striker Ashley Coffey won the Golden Boot with his 12 goals. Eventually Oulu won 2 of their 5 play-off games and this was enough to keep them in the division. They finished only 4 points above the bottom 2 though. After third consecutive disappointing season a major overhaul took place this winter. The squad has changed a lot and more than half of the regulars from last year are no longer in the team. Yet to be seen what impact Coffey’s departure will have. He was directly involved in 17 (12 goals and 5 assists) of Oulu’s 32 goals last year. Marokhy Ndione was brought to provide the goals but he is a player with history of serious injuries so keeping him fit might prove a challenge. Justin Rennicks is the only other natural striker in the squad right now. The entire back line and goalkeepers’ room were changed this winter too. The captain of VPS Mikko Pitkänen decided to join and he will be a key figure in defence. Experienced Swedish goalie William Eskelinen should be the new number one. There are major worries regarding the depth. That said there are options for most roles. The problem is that all of the 5-6 most important players are known for their injury-issues in the past. Even captain Jokelainen missed more than half of last season. Keeping the stars fit and available will be the main task going into 2025.