Kiel never really hit their full potential and will be relatively disappointed with their final position. Things did improve after a poor start but a lack of discipline defensively cost them too many times.
Kiel were hoping to kick on from their top six finish last season but, after a bad run at the end of last campaign, it continued into this one. A third defeat in 6 at Heidenheim in mid-September cost Andre Schmidt his job.
Ole Werner at just 32 was a gamble as Schmidt’s replacement, but the early signs were good. The young coach guided the team to 5 wins from his first 9 games, 4 of those came away from home where they had struggled previously.
Werner wasn’t afraid to make controversial changes to the side, goalkeeper Dominic Riemann and defender Dominik Schmidt were both dropped, rarely making another appearance for the rest of the campaign.
Kiel were to score 53 goals over the course of the season, youngster Janni-Luca Serra burst on to the scene, netting 7 times in 12 matches before injury cut short his season. Jae-Sung Lee was also a menace again but not quite as influential as the last campaign.
Only 2 wins from their final 12 games would result in a bottom-half finish, injuries didn’t help their cause but a leaky defence conceding 56 goals overall was their biggest downfall.
It’s difficult to know what next season will bring for Kiel but they need to strengthen in defensive areas. Trying to keep hold of key-man Lee is also a big worry as he will be difficult to replace.
