Kashima Antlers head into the new J. League campaign at something of a crossroads after a disappointing sixth-place finish last season, but incoming manager Jorginho sees no need to start a revolution.
Antlers won three successive championships from 2007 to 2009 under previous manager Oswaldo Oliveira, but when damage to Kashima Stadium in the March 11 earthquake forced the team into temporary exile early last season, it was clear 2011 was not going to be another vintage year.
A brief flirtation with relegation followed until results picked up over the summer, and although Antlers lifted the Nabisco Cup before the season was out, Oliveira's end-of-year departure felt like a full stop on a great side that had grown old together.