Photo Credit: Source: Martin Rose/Bongarts–Zimbio
After two consecutive years where the club escaped relegation via the relegation playoff Hamburg SV finished 2015-2016 a respectable tenth under Bruno Labbadia. That spawned some big speculation for 16-17 and that was before some big signings came in drawing an awful lot of attention.
USMNT member Bobby Wood entered from second division Union Berlin was not the only signing of the preseason. 14 million was spent on Filip Kostic from relegated Stuttgart, Alen Halilovic from Barcelona came in during the spending spree that occurred. How could it possibly go wrong when you spend so much?
Wood scored a goal in each of the first two matches then there was nothing until match day 10 against BVB in a 5-2 loss. During that time there were two points gained, a late loss to Bayern that cost Bruno his job, and 23 goals conceded in the first 10 match days.
The board chose Markus Gisdol after little deliberation and there have been some results that have occurred since his appointment on September 25. Took a point in a 0-0 when down to 10 men to a then in form Borussia Monchengladbach, a fun 2-2 draw with rivals Werder Bremen after a 2-2 draw with Hoffenheim, followed by three victories in the final four matches to give fans some belief that again they could survive a relegation scare.
Yes that is progress but this is a club that has been in the top flight of Germany always. The only club in Bundesliga history to be there every year, there’s a clock that is keeping track. Even back to the non-Bundesliga days this club has been at the top level since the end of the First World War. And yet with all those years, six German titles(three modern era), three Pokals, two European titles with three more title appearances, this club seems to go from disaster to disaster.
There seems little to do but throw money at it and hope things come out right. Though with some stability perhaps there is hope.
Moment of the Hinrunde
Going to Darmstadt on matchday 13 to find the first victory of the season give the injection of confidence necessary to move up the table. In the previous two matches there were 2-2 draws at Hoffenheim and home to rivals Werder Bremen. But this was a victory over a direct rival fighting the drop and in doing so lifted them off from the foot of the table. Afterwards they would end the Hinrunde with two more victories in their next three matches.
The ‘A-Ha’ Moment of the Hinrunde
Back in the second week of the season there was still absurd belief that this was a club that would be pushing for Europe, considering the money that was spent. Bobby Wood had scored in the 58th minute to give the Dinosaurs a 1-0 lead at Leverkusen and despite looking shaky looked like points would be attainable. Then Finnish substitute Joel Pohjanpalo netted in the 79th minute the equalizer and followed that with two more goals in the 91st and 94th minutes to give Bayer 04 Leverkusen the 3-1 victory. A sign that this was not to be the year of the Dino.
Ruckrunde Prediction
Markus Gisdol has the club on the upwards trajectory after finally getting some momentum. Thing is they play Wolfsburg and Ingolstadt in the first weeks after the winterpause and follow that with a difficult string of matches against Leverkusen, Leipzig, Freiburg, Bayern and Hertha Berlin before the March international break. If in good position at that time perhaps there is hope but with pressure from below the table in Ingolstadt and Bremen and Gladbach above things will be very tense in Hamburg. 16th and the third relegation playoff in four seasons.
