Last campaign FC Ingolstadt made a big noise in not just staying up but they finished mid table in the debut season. Many of the same pieces are still there but many have left.
Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was the conductor of the impressive team that finished eleventh when nearly everyone had them set for relegation. His leaving for RB Leipzig was understandable. Audi might be partners in Ingolstadt but Red Bull has made it obvious that they will financially back their manager. So entered Markus Kauczinski, a man who at Karlsruher of the second division had done well with next to no cash. So why not give him a chance?
They did and after ten matches where the club earned just two points the club decided that despite his better intentions with the available resources that Kauczinski was out of a job. It wasn’t that things were not working, they were not working with only one end. That being relegation.
In has come Maik Walpurgis, last seen at the helm of third division Osnabruck, and he has figured out what to do. Even United States Men’s National Team member Alfredo Morales has found his way back into the starting eleven. With even the off-season loss of the backbone of the defense the squad has earned 10 points from the six in charge under Walpurgis. Their recipe for success wasn’t something new. In fact it was a carbon copy of what had made them successful in the previous season, being stubborn defensively and getting a goal from set pieces.
Moment of the Hinrunde
How about pulling off a big victory over RB Leipzig in the first defeat of the would be title contenders? At this moment Walpurgis and Ingolstadt had earned four points from the three in charge of the club and this made the other relegation fighters take note. FC Ingolstadt from here has the fire in their belly to make a run at Bundesliga survival and not hesitant to go looking in uncouth places to find answers.
The “A-ha” Moment
The high point of the Kauczinski regime was definitely the first half where Ingolstadt led Borussia Dortmund 2-0. The club was punching one of the biggest clubs in the mouth and it looked like they were making a difference. Sadly the reciprocal occurred and Dortmund found a stoppage time equalizer in a 3-3 match for the neutrals. From a point where they could have a massive victory to dropping two points it was the good and the bad all in one.
Ruckrunde Prediction
Progress is being made and at this current rate of points earning Ingolstadt would be looking at a moderate mid table finish. Now that sort of progress is what will get more out of work lower division coaches hired. Will they actually survive this relegation fight? The answer is yes. The players are now confident in themselves of achieving that goal and the fact remains that much of last seasons team that fought and scraped is there and that is enough to get to 14th place but no higher.
