Hertha BSC captain Fabian Lustenberger summed up his side’s season perfectly when he said that it had been a very difficult one for the club. The capital city team came into the campaign with a lot of optimism after they had survived their first season in the league since being promoted back from the second division. Some exciting new signings and some prominent members of the team signing up for the long term meant that it should have been a season for them to push on. However from the very start of the season this looked unlikely to happen. Their first win came on the fifth matchday, their first away win on the tenth and, despite one or two stand out performances, such as a one goal win over struggling Dortmund in December, they found themselves just above the bottom three at Christmas. Head coach Jos Luhakay was under pressure and the Dutchman was given just two more games after the winter break before he was replaced by former player and Hungary U21 coach Pal Dardai. The new coach had an immediate effect, winning his first game and taking his team on an unbeaten run of five at one point, their longest of the season. But after that run was broken they found it very tough until the end of the season, picking up just two points in their last six. Their eventual position of fifthteenth reflects how hard it was for them this term and it is only thanks to some truly dreadful sides in the league this year that they stayed up. Dardai has been confirmed as the man to take the club forward and the first thing he will probably do is cut the side down in size. A number of players under him have been completely ostracized from the first team and look certain to leave the club as he tries to focus on those he deems capable of taking the club forward. Whether this divisive strategy will work in the long run remains to be seen but the board have faith in him. It looks like being a busy summer for the club then, not only do they have to try and improve the squad but funds will be tight unless they can find a new sponsor after their current deal ran out. Few players have impressed over the season, especially as few have played in more than three quarters of the games. Sebastian Langkamp has been excellent once again but has been injured an awful lot this term while Roy Beerens has chipped in with some important goals at the other end. But the only real player ever present this season has been goalkeeper Thomas Kraft who is their player of the season and has put in some excellent performances to help save some point which turned out to be crucial in the end.
