Football Season Guide

Lokeren have for the most part endured a thoroughly unremarkable and at times quite deflating season. Yet the tables turned in the final couple of months of the season when they swept past their opponents int he play-off group and went within a penalty shoot-out of getting a Europa League play-off game. It was a good run of performances from Peter Maes' side as the experienced manager finally found the right balance in a team that has some good quality but lacked character and drive for a long time. That should give the fans a bit more optimism for the season ahead and Maes will be definitely expecting bigger and better things from the team as well. Lokeren have been probably the quietest team on the transfer market so far this summer. Mickael Tirpan was brought in from Eupen and he is a comment and assured right-back who is capable of holding down a starting slot. Also coming is young defender Bambo Diaby but he is more of an unknown and it remains to be seen how quickly he will settle. Players like Lukas Marecek and Jose Cevallos turned into vital players at the end of last campaign after joining in mid-season and they will be looking to kick on and becoming even more integral in midfield after a full pre-season. The position up front looks one of the weakest in the squad at the moment as Robin Soder is nothing more than a decent option and Marko Miric and Tom de Sutter do not seem capable of providing enough goals. Yet the pair of Mijat Maric and Jakov Filipovic looks quite established and assured at the back and Davino Verhulst could be close to unbeatable in goal on his day. This gives Lokeren a good structure and base to build upon but there is still little to suggest that the fans of the Tricolores should get too excited as anything else than a mid-table finish is fanciful and unrealistic thinking.