Football Season Guide

A cup run which ended in defeat in the final against Bayern München saved Stuttgart's season last term and it is a case of must do better for Bruno Labaddia's men. They have responded to the inconsistent performances of last season by bringing in a number of players. Konstantin Rausch and Mohammed Abdellaoue look like decent purchases with Daniel Schwaab should also be a good signing for them in defence after many good seasons with Bayer Leverkusen. They have also acquired the services of Moritz Leitner on loan from Borussia Dortmund though the loan period is two years so he should have a chance of making a real impact on the squad and they have the option to buy him if they wish. A number of squad players have left the south German side this year with a couple of loan players returning to their parent clubs. Shinji Okazaki could a miss for them with his set pieces a real source of danger for them but they have streamlined their squad from last year and this should stand them in good stead. Their target for this season should be to be more consistent in the league and this should yield them a top half finish but the club have European ambitions so Bruno Labaddia will be under pressure to bring Europa League football to the club, though their squad may still be too weak to challenge for it via the league.