Meldert, Belgium - May 16th 2011 Mid-season table End of season
A very consistent season - we had no long streaks of any kind, but were a solid upper-midtable team, tough-to-play but not quite strong enough to play a role at the top. For our debut season in the Second Division, I'm plenty pleased with that.
Logically, the aim would be to do better next season and aim for promotion, but I'm gonna remain cautious about those ambitions for a bit longer. We're still in the red from last summer's stadium expansion (-120k at the moment, but with the squad bonus and offseason, it'll be more soon). So the wage budget will not increase much, if anything.
And an extra season - even a few extra seasons - in the Second Division might not be a bad thing. Basic training and youth facilities, 3400 stadium capacity, bank balance in the red... it's gonna take a few more seasons as it is to improve those aspects, without having to worry about turning pro and paying players who can compete at Belgium's top level. So no hurry yet.
Meldert team
I was pleasantly surprised by the level of football the lads managed to maintain, which was a bit higher than I expected. Obviously some of the loan players played a key part in that. The new link with Anderlecht - who climbed out of the First Div. relegation zone, by the way, so the link will remain - is proving to be quite helpful.
Of the players I signed when I first took charge of Meldert, three remained in a key role this season:
- Goalkeeper Kristoff Deprez remained the first choice. 33 matches, 41 conceded, 11 clean sheets - very balanced and consistent.
It looks like he'll move to the bench next season though, as my third goalie, who was already at the club when I took control, has just turned 24 and evolved well - my coaches rate him as the best goalie at the club. I let him play the last 4 matches of the season, and he did very well, so he'll be starting next season.
- Jeroen Mertens, 21, right winger. Was mostly on the bench last season because I had a loan player who was better, but was back to first choice this season, and did very well. He's not a supertalent - Second Division is probably his ceiling - but he gets the most from his limited attributes. AvgR. 7.34, 6 goals and 5 assists.
- Matthew Bartholomew, 22, striker. Trinidad&Tobago international. Also at his ceiling in the Second Division, but still quite productive at this level. 12 goals and 4 assists in 21(5) matches is perfectly adequate.
My original back four still saw some playtime this season, but they weren't first choice any longer.
Two new signings who almost certainly will remain a key part of the team next season:
- Pieter Vervaert, 19, MC. Talented kid, will probably evolve into a decent First Div. midfielder in a few years. Has a few weak spots, but is still young. Stamina is one of those things that need to improve a bit, so I usually had to take him off after 60 or 70 min.
- Charles Kaboré, 23, AML. Pacy left winger, occasional international for Burkina Faso. A menace on the left side, creates many chances. Got 4 goals and 12 assists this season.
There's plenty of room in the squad for talented players though. No specific positions I'll be looking to fill in the offseason - I'll just be keeping an eye out for talented free players, sign who I can, and then fill the holes that remain with loan players.
With the club's financial situation, I'll probably need to stick to that method for a while longer. Need to keep the wage bill as low as possible.
The downside to that is that at least half my starting eleven is new every season. But it's working out so far.
, the Icelandic Cup threw me some favourable home draws and we reached the semi finals. However at a neutral venue this time, we failed to convert possession into chances and succumbed to a 
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