Nurnberg finished their season off well under new coach Michael Weisinger as they almost managed a top half finish despite being close to the relegation zone at the turn of the year. Under Dieter Hecking the club have performed fairly well in the league over the past few seasons but the beginning of the new one saw a series of poor results which left the side languishing at the foot of the table. Matters were made worse as Hecking was snapped up by Wolfsburg during the winter break leaving them managerless and struggling. Into the gap left behind by Hecking stepped an unknown member of the coach staff called Michael Weisinger who changed their style of play to a more robust defensive orientated game. This may have been seen as negative football but the club’s league position improved as well as the results including a run of nine games unbeaten at one point. The defence played a key role in this success including their captain and goalkeeper Raphael Schafer who had a superb season including a number of excellent performances to help his side hold on to crucial points in tight matches. They have managed to include a number of younger youth team players in the last games of the season which is a positive aspect to the season but they will aim to consolidate over the summer and will aim to emulate the second half of the season rather than the first.
