FC Augsburg

Manager: Jos Muhukay
Major Signings: Langkamp (Karlsruhe SC), Mayer (FC Heidenheim), Davids (NEC Nijmegen), Molders (FSV Frankfurt), Peitz (Union Berlin)
Major Departures: Traore (VfB Stuttgart), Kwakman (FC Groningen), Sinkiewicz (VfL Bochum), Thurk (retired)

This will be Augsburg’s first season in the German top flight and whilst everyone enjoys a fairytale, nobody should be under any illusions about how difficult it is going to be for them to avoid an immediate return to the second tier. The fact that so many of last season’s relegation candidates are unlikely to be involved in the fight to stay up and the fact that even those clubs likely to be involved in a relegation dogfight are considerably better than Augsburg means that they are all set for a very long season of disappointment.

Prediction: 18th

Bayer Leverkusen

Manager: Robin Dutt
Major Signings: Schurrle (FSV Mainz), Bellarabi (Eintracht Braunschweig), Toprak (SC Freiburg), Yelldell (MSV Duisburg)
Major Departures: Vidal (Juventus), Djakpa (Eintracht Frankfurt), Sukuta-Pasu (Kaiserslautern), Risse (FSV Mainz), Hyypia (retired), Bobel (retired), Vida (Dinamo Zagreb)

Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride and this season looks set to be no different. The signing of Schurrle should help Leverkusen get the goals they have been crying out for, Vidal finishing last season as top scorer with a measly 10 goals was a major factor in their not pushing Dortmund closer. Losing Vidal to Juventus is a far greater problem than losing his goals though and it remains to be seen if young Lars Bender can step into such important shoes.

Prediction: 4th

Bayern Munich

Manager: Jupp Heynckes
Major Signings: Rafinha (Genoa), Usami (Gamba Osaka), Neuer (Schalke 04), Petersen (Energie Cottbus), Boateng (Manchester City)
Major Departures: Klose (Lazio), Altintop (Real Madrid), Ottl (Hertha Berlin), Kraft (Hertha Berlin), Ekici (Werder Bremen)

Write FC Holywood off at your peril, they’ve been down before and they bounce back every single time, don’t expect this season to be any different. The reason I’m so confident of them winning the title is that they have finally strengthened the areas that needed strengthening, rather than signing big players to fuel the image. Rafinha arriving means that Lahm can finally settle at left back, Boateng means that van Buyten will no longer be relied on and Neuer finally fills that massive hole left by Khan. I expect them to take the league by storm and take the Champions League to task.

Prediction: 1st

Borussia Dortmund

Manager: Jurgen Klopp
Major Signings: Perisic (Club Brugge), Gundogan (FC Nurnberg)
Major Departures: Sahin (Real Madrid), Feulner (FC Nurnberg), Dede (released)

Lost in the midst of the hype created by Dortmund’s championship win was my lone voice reminding people that whilst they had performed wonderfully, they had won a campaign in which so many of the big hitters hadn’t turned up. For that to happen a second time would be unprecedented and Dortmund’s defence of the Bundesliga crown will be as tough a challenge as they are likely to face for some time. The loss of Nuri Sahin will dent their ambitions, however, holding on to that backline will go some way to making sure they are in the mix come May.

Prediction: 3rd

Borussia Moenchengladbach

Manager: Lucien Favre
Major Signings: Rupp (Karlsruhe SC), Zimmermann (Karlsruhe SC), Wendt (FC Kobenhavn), King (Manchester United), Leckie (Adelaide United).
Major Departures: Schachten (St Pauli), Jaures (retired), Bailly (Neuchatel Xamax), Matmour (Eintracht Frankfurt), Bamba (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Limited resources has in turn led to limited transfer dealings for Gladbach and what limited dealings there have been seem to have involved unproven youngsters. Favre has brought some stability to the club, though without proper financial backing and investment in players that can make a difference it seems unlikely that they can have any realistic chance of avoiding relegation.

Prediction: 17th

SC Freiburg

Manager: Marcus Sorg
Major Signings: Dembele (Levski Sofia), Batz (FC Nurnberg), Ferati (FC Basel)
Major Departures: Toprak (Bayer Leverkusen), Pouplin (released), Bechmann (SonderjyskE)

It might sound disrespectful to say that a manager has some hard work ahead of him to live up to his predecessor’s 9th place finish, but I mean it in the best way possible and purely because I rate Dutt so highly. New man at the helm, Marcus Sorg has suffered the loss of Toprak to Leverkusen but as long as he holds onto last season’s top scorer, Cisse, he’ll be happy enough and shouldn’t be in for too rough a ride.

Prediction: 10th

Hamburg SV

Manager: Michael Oenning
Major Signings: Bruma (Chelsea), Toere (Chelsea), Sala (Chelsea), Mancienne (Chelsea), Ciljan Skjelbred (Rosenborg)
Major Departures: Rost (released), Ze Roberto (released), Trochowski (FC Sevilla), van Nistelrooy (Malaga), Mathijsen (Malaga), Torun (Hertha Berlin), Benjamin (1860 Munich), Rozehnal (Lille), Choupo-Moting (FSV Mainz), Pitroipa (Stade Rennes)

Is there a team that is more difficult to predict than HSV? The see-saw team of the Bundesliga, over recent seasons they have shifted from sublime to ridiculous with absolute ease. Most people seem convinced that they are going to struggle because of the big names they have lost, but I’m more inclined to think of it as the big egos they have lost. A raft of young, hungry, talented players have been purchased and this could well be the season that HSV finally become a team and start to produce a more solid league performance.

Prediction: 6th

Hannover 96

Manager: Mirko Slomka
Major Signings: Sobiech (Polonia Warsaw), Pander (Schalke 04), Hauger (Stabaek), Radlinger (SV Ried)
Major Departures: Fromlowitz (MSV Duisburg), Beasley (Puebla)

I feel like I’m being harsh on Hannover when I say that they are another team who benefitted from the poor performance of big hitters last season. Yes, their performance last term was a joy to behold and in many ways they were my team of the season, but working on the assumption that last years failures will improve, you have to expect them to push 96 to one side and down the league standings. On the plus side, they are in no danger of dropping down too far, so they are free to enjoy their Europa League journey.

Prediction: 8th

Hertha Berlin

Manager: Markus Babbel
Major Signings: Ottl (Bayern Munich), Franz (Eintracht Frankfurt), Niemeyer (Werder Bremen), Kraft (Bayern Munich), Torun (Hamburg SV), Kaka (Sporting Braga)
Major Departures: Domovchiyski (MSV Duisburg), Hartmann (Alemannia Aachen), Bigalke (SpVgg Unterhaching)

I might be biased in my assessment of Hertha, they are my German team of choice, but I don’t think there will be many people tipping them for a return to Bundesliga II. I still consider their relegation a complete shock, however, in a round about way the drop down and subsequent need to make changes has helped them. I’m particularly interested in seeing how Ottl gets on, I always felt he deserved more of a chance at Bayern and he, along with Babbel’s other signings, should see Hertha book a place in the Bundesliga for 2012/13.

Prediction: 14th