Football Season Guide

RKC Waalwijk are coming from a positive season even if they ended in 15th place with the same points as 16th placed Emmen, but a better goal difference. Few would have bet on their permanence in Eredivisie considering that the previous season was a complete failure and they were only saved by league's suspension due Covid-19 when they were one step away from the immediate return in Eerste Divisie. The main architect of this sort of miracle was coach Fred Grim who left to Willem II and was replaced by inexperienced Joseph Oosting, on his debut as first coach in Eredivisie. Together with the coach leaving, some very important players, above all the two best defensive midfielders Vurnon Anita and Anas Tahiri, goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou, best RKC player last season, and strikers Cyril Ngonge and Sylla Sow. Unfortunately, all these gaps have not been bridged at the moment apart from that of the goalkeeper with the arrival of Joel Pereira from Manchester United. In attack came the experienced and reliable Michiel Kramer, but now there is an abundance of central forwards and few strikers and wingers. In midfield the situation is even worse, there are too few and certainly not up to the level of those they will have to replace. Coach Oosting will probably opt for a 4-2-3-1 system with Meulensteen and Touba as centre-backs, Bakari and Lutonda full-backs, Van der Venne and Azhil playing in front of the defense and Daneels, Bel Hassani and Buttner supporting the only forward Stokkers (or Kramer).