Football Season Guide

Mainz have been doing relatively well for a club of their size recently and will look to spend another season above the worst of the relegation fight. Moving to their new arena last term posed them some problems in settling in but they will hope to make a better start this time to give them a more solid base to build on. The squad has been trimmed with decent though not irreplaceable players like Allagui, Stieber and Zidan moving but the addition of Diaz from Brugge looks a good one while Ede should add some depth to the bench. Wetklo or Muller will be in goals but in front of them there are a host of decent players in almost every position with Pospech, Svensson, Zabavnik and Noveski forming a very experienced and much underrated defence. In the midfield Baumgartlinger will look for a breakthrough year but Polanski, Soto and the immensely talented Ivanschitz are all well established already while Szalai is the main goal threat. The striking area does need strengthened, or for others to step up, but if the team can find enough goals going forward there is every reason to think they will be solid enough again this season.