Hamburger SV enjoyed a far more comfortable campaign compared to their last couple of years with a safe mid-table finish representing a successful season for a club that continues to maintain its proud tradition of featuring in every Bundesliga campaign. Having flirted dangerously with relegation over the last couple of seasons, and only managing to avoid the drop via the playoffs, Hamburg were hoping for a less stressful campaign this time around and spent a busy summer overhauling the first team as a number of players were brought in, including Aaron Hunt, Albin Ekdal, Emir Spahic, Gotoku Sakai, Michael Gregoritsch and Sven Schipplock while Lewis Holtby's loan was converted into a permanent move. Hamburg's season got off to an inauspicious start as they were thrashed 0-5 by Bayern Munchen on the opening day of the season but they responded well to the defeat and enjoyed an excellent first half of the campaign that saw them put in a number of eye catching displays which included victories over Borussia Dortmund, Hoffenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach. Hamburg headed into the winter break sitting comfortably near the mid-table but the first worrying signs surfaced just before the break as they managed to collect just one point from their final three games of the year. Their form did not improve after the break and coach Bruno Labbadia often cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as Hamburg struggled for consistency. A poor run of just three wins from 13 games saw Hamburg slide down the table, raising fears that they would have to battle it out late once again in order to secure their safety. A crucial victory over Hannover 96 helped Hamburg maintain their distance from the bottom three and Hamburg ended the season on a strong note, securing victories over fellow relegation strugglers Werder Bremen and Augsburg and ensured that they would be no late drama this time around. Despite a good season, Labbadia will be aware of the rebuilding job that the team needs in order to avoid another relegation battle next season. Hunt was brought in to act as a creative hub for the side but the midfielder struggled to keep himself fit, managing only 19 starts over the course of the season and, while Nicolai Muller came to Hamburg's rescue, ending the season as both the top scorer with nine goals and creating the most number of goals with five assists, Hamburg needs to bring in a player who can be effective playing in the center of the midfield. Hamburg had invested in improving their strikeforce last summer but Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Artjoms Rudnevs, Schipplock and Ivica Olic all had an underwhelming season and managed just 10 goals between them. Rudnevs and Olic have left the club at the end of their contracts and Hamburg have brought in Bobby Wood to challenge Lasogga for a place in the starting eleven. With Ivo Ilicevic, Gojko Kacar and Josip Drmic also leaving the club, there are still some important pieces missing from the squad if Hamburg are to build on an encouraging campaign from last season.
