Dusseldorf were unsuccessful in their quest to get back into the Bundesliga at the first time of asking. They improved a lot after a poor start to the campaign but it was only enough for a respectable fifth place finish.
Under the guidance of Uwe Rosler, Dusseldorf struggled at first, winning just 2 of their first 7 games. They leaked goals defensively early on but did make improvements in that area as the season progressed.
Hopes of promotion already looked dashed after a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of rivals Bochum at the end of November, however they turned things round, with 6 victories from 7 after.
Dusseldorf propelled themselves up into the top six and promotion was a possibility again, however, after some inconsistent results into the new year, they ultimately fell short.
Their home form was a huge plus, winning 11 of their 17 games, as well as the emergence of youngster Shinta Appelkamp, who burst onto the scene with some important goals.
Kownacki and Peterson also vastly improved throughout the campaign with some strong performances, while Karaman and Hennings also contributed.
Dusseldorf and Rosler have now parted ways as the club look to find a successor. There is no doubting the aim for next season but, with strong competition, they will need to strengthen in the summer.
