Champagneblade
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Starting a thread to consolidate the United World stuff for the new season by looking back on the summer for the European based teams.
Two contrasting pre-seasons. First off at Beerschot where it has been all change.
A new manager has arrived in the shape of Austrian Andreas Weiland. He favours a pressing style and by the looks of summer recruitment will be playing 5 at the back.
A mixed bag in preseason, similar to our own where Beerschot recorded wins against Westerlo and Sparta Rotterdam, defeats to Leuven and Dessel and a penalty shootout win against FC Eindhoven.
In terms of the squad, a reprieve for Vanhamel (32) in goal which saw Biebaw retire and LeJoly drop a division for regular football. In came 22 year old Bill Lathowers from Beveren, Saturdays opponents to provide back up.
After the debacle of last season’s United Nations recruitment it is back to basics this time with the theme being young and Belgium and by young you’d also presume relatively cheap.
Defensively the fullbacks all left. Dom joined OH and stayed in the Belgium top flight, Halaimia went to Algeria and De Smet returned to Reims. In came right backs Quirynen (20) from Deinze and the Swiss Leo Seydoux (24, not the James Bond actress!) on loan from newly promoted Westerlo. On the left money was paid - €100k - to bring Nzita (22) back to Belgium from Pescara backed up by 26 year old former Beerschot youth Marco Waymans who was unattached.
In the centre of defence, Lemos ended his loan and returned to Fenerbahçe and Bourdain left after his deal expired and has yet to find a club. To the surprise of many, Van de Bergh (27) remained. Konstantopoulos (22) will also hope for a breakthrough after being on the periphery last year. Frans, the elder statesmen at 33 will also be looking to out a nightmare injury period behind him. Radic (22) wants to leave but is still held to his contract but has been absent preseason. Newcomers continue the local theme with 26 year old Hervé Matthys coming in from Ado Den Haag. Wieland’s compatriot, 23 year old Luca Meisl joined from RV Reid in Austria.
Into the midfield, one positive was the retention of Ryan Sanusi, 30, as captain, signing a new deal. He was joined by 23 year old Dante Rigo who agreed to extend his stay. Central midfield options were extended with the recruitment of Andy Koshi, 21 from Cercle Brugge, a former U19 international. Former Nigerian International Ibrahim Alhassan, 25, joined form Nacional of Portugal where he spent the past 4 years. They join 20 year old Abraham Okyere who will also be hoping for a breakthrough year. All this was necessary due to further players exercising relegation release clauses seeing Holzhauser be the forerunner to Dom at OH and Pietermaat drop a League to join Patro Eisden as well as Coulibaly coming to the Lane.
Further forward, there still seems work to be done. Sebouai, 20 and the Bolivian Vaca (23) will hope to provide creativity, supplemented by Verlinden (23), the one time stoke wide man. The winger Soumaré craved a return to the place of last year’s loan and went back to France with Ligue 2’s Quevilly Rouen. Leon Krekovic’s stay was mercilessly put to an end with a return to Croatia and HNK Sibenic for a small fee.
The striking department is still very light with Vaca and Sebouai expected to greatly supplement. Incoming - 20 year old Thibo Baetin on loan from NEC Nijmegen and just 18 year old Romano La Morte. The expectation amongst fans is certainly that more is needed here else there is a lot of pressure on the rest of the team. This is part because the following have all left - Shankland (470k, Hearts), Eleke (nominal, Kashima Antlers), Noubissi (freedom of contract, Valenciennes), Suzuki (foc, Gamba Osaka), Placca (foc, Shakter Olygorsk), Trouet (foc, Gent), Avenatti (end of loan, back to Standard Liege).
Overall a squad of 22 including the just 18 La Morte and Radic who they can’t count on looks quite light.
Positives, it’s a young squad that can grow. It has a Belgium core of 13 local players. There is experience and capability through the middle too - Vanhamel, de Bergh, Sanusi, Vaca/Sebouai.
Negatives, a lack of depth in terms of experience and a lack of focal point up front. Though he wasn’t prolific, Avenatti as a presence would have made a difference up top. You feel even as a loan, the right one in the forwards could make a real difference.
First game is tonight against Beveren and unfortunately like the next game, will be in an empty stadium. This is as a result of overzealous fan behaviour last season. Not easy when you are having a poor season. The fans want more investment and a better team. On the Board side, they could easily state that the fan behaviour has cost maybe €300,000 in lost revenue that could have been spent on the team. Either way there is still time in the window to add a decisive loan and with Van Winkel now leaving United World this may lift the mood. He was very much seen as the architect of the poor recruitment from last time so perhaps this signals a fresh start with a mainly local young team and new manager.
Two contrasting pre-seasons. First off at Beerschot where it has been all change.
A new manager has arrived in the shape of Austrian Andreas Weiland. He favours a pressing style and by the looks of summer recruitment will be playing 5 at the back.
A mixed bag in preseason, similar to our own where Beerschot recorded wins against Westerlo and Sparta Rotterdam, defeats to Leuven and Dessel and a penalty shootout win against FC Eindhoven.
In terms of the squad, a reprieve for Vanhamel (32) in goal which saw Biebaw retire and LeJoly drop a division for regular football. In came 22 year old Bill Lathowers from Beveren, Saturdays opponents to provide back up.
After the debacle of last season’s United Nations recruitment it is back to basics this time with the theme being young and Belgium and by young you’d also presume relatively cheap.
Defensively the fullbacks all left. Dom joined OH and stayed in the Belgium top flight, Halaimia went to Algeria and De Smet returned to Reims. In came right backs Quirynen (20) from Deinze and the Swiss Leo Seydoux (24, not the James Bond actress!) on loan from newly promoted Westerlo. On the left money was paid - €100k - to bring Nzita (22) back to Belgium from Pescara backed up by 26 year old former Beerschot youth Marco Waymans who was unattached.
In the centre of defence, Lemos ended his loan and returned to Fenerbahçe and Bourdain left after his deal expired and has yet to find a club. To the surprise of many, Van de Bergh (27) remained. Konstantopoulos (22) will also hope for a breakthrough after being on the periphery last year. Frans, the elder statesmen at 33 will also be looking to out a nightmare injury period behind him. Radic (22) wants to leave but is still held to his contract but has been absent preseason. Newcomers continue the local theme with 26 year old Hervé Matthys coming in from Ado Den Haag. Wieland’s compatriot, 23 year old Luca Meisl joined from RV Reid in Austria.
Into the midfield, one positive was the retention of Ryan Sanusi, 30, as captain, signing a new deal. He was joined by 23 year old Dante Rigo who agreed to extend his stay. Central midfield options were extended with the recruitment of Andy Koshi, 21 from Cercle Brugge, a former U19 international. Former Nigerian International Ibrahim Alhassan, 25, joined form Nacional of Portugal where he spent the past 4 years. They join 20 year old Abraham Okyere who will also be hoping for a breakthrough year. All this was necessary due to further players exercising relegation release clauses seeing Holzhauser be the forerunner to Dom at OH and Pietermaat drop a League to join Patro Eisden as well as Coulibaly coming to the Lane.
Further forward, there still seems work to be done. Sebouai, 20 and the Bolivian Vaca (23) will hope to provide creativity, supplemented by Verlinden (23), the one time stoke wide man. The winger Soumaré craved a return to the place of last year’s loan and went back to France with Ligue 2’s Quevilly Rouen. Leon Krekovic’s stay was mercilessly put to an end with a return to Croatia and HNK Sibenic for a small fee.
The striking department is still very light with Vaca and Sebouai expected to greatly supplement. Incoming - 20 year old Thibo Baetin on loan from NEC Nijmegen and just 18 year old Romano La Morte. The expectation amongst fans is certainly that more is needed here else there is a lot of pressure on the rest of the team. This is part because the following have all left - Shankland (470k, Hearts), Eleke (nominal, Kashima Antlers), Noubissi (freedom of contract, Valenciennes), Suzuki (foc, Gamba Osaka), Placca (foc, Shakter Olygorsk), Trouet (foc, Gent), Avenatti (end of loan, back to Standard Liege).
Overall a squad of 22 including the just 18 La Morte and Radic who they can’t count on looks quite light.
Positives, it’s a young squad that can grow. It has a Belgium core of 13 local players. There is experience and capability through the middle too - Vanhamel, de Bergh, Sanusi, Vaca/Sebouai.
Negatives, a lack of depth in terms of experience and a lack of focal point up front. Though he wasn’t prolific, Avenatti as a presence would have made a difference up top. You feel even as a loan, the right one in the forwards could make a real difference.
First game is tonight against Beveren and unfortunately like the next game, will be in an empty stadium. This is as a result of overzealous fan behaviour last season. Not easy when you are having a poor season. The fans want more investment and a better team. On the Board side, they could easily state that the fan behaviour has cost maybe €300,000 in lost revenue that could have been spent on the team. Either way there is still time in the window to add a decisive loan and with Van Winkel now leaving United World this may lift the mood. He was very much seen as the architect of the poor recruitment from last time so perhaps this signals a fresh start with a mainly local young team and new manager.
