Wolfsburg had an absolute nightmare season in 2016/17 as they only survived relegation from the Bundesliga in the playoff. After a good, if slightly disappointing, finish last season in the league which also included a run to the Champions League quarter final, it looked like being business as usual for Wolfsburg. A host of talent was brought into the club before the start of the season under the stable leadership of Dieter Hecking. However after beating Augsburg on the opening day, results were very poor and Hecking would not taste victory again before being sacked. His successor, former youth team coach Valerien Ismael, faired little better and only won five of 15 games, despite another recruitment drive in January, bringing in no fewer than five first team players. A run of five defeats in six games prompted him to be fired and Dutchman Andries Jonker was tasked with keeping the side up. However he did little better and an embarrassing defeat on the final day of the season away to HSV sent the side into the relegation playoff. Jonker’s side was outplayed over two legs but somehow managed to take two narrow wins and stay up by the skin of their teeth.
Wolfsburg’s season shows the dangers of trying to use money as a solution to problems and the sometimes negative effect that can be had from frequent changes of management. The current squad will need to be cut down and improved for next season so it remains to be seen whether Jonker will still be in charge. Strangely, Wolfsburg were far better away from home than in front of their own fans in the Volkswagen Arena where they only picked up 18 points. The loss of Julian Draxler half way through the season was also a blow though he had barely played in the opening part of the campaign due to disputes with the management. Few players did well throughout the season. The only member of the playing staff to stand out was Mario Gomez who scored 16, four times the next highest scorer. The problem of successive Wolfsburg sides was the lack of a goalscorer, now they have one, other pieces of the puzzle are missing and the club has plenty of work to do in order to be ready for next season.
