After two consecutive seasons in which Hamburg preserved their ever-present Bundesliga status by a whisker, there is no surprise that actions are finally being taken to bring an end to the stagnation that has been occurring at one of Germany's biggest clubs.
There is a wealth of good reasons that HSV is still an attractive club to join, however not nearly as many as there once was when Der Dino were gracing European giants with their presence and creating history along the way.
As such, Hamburg have had to 'cut their cloth accordingly', a term which is overused in football generally but definitely applies here. While they linger at the wrong end of the table, the gap grows between themselves and other clubs whom are models of stability and sustainable progression.
Regardless of this, Hamburg have started the transfer window by making some surprising moves. Have the decisions so far been correct? If it all comes off, this could be the season that HSV get back to the right end of the table.
Wholesale changes
Starting with the departures (which I hasten to add are not in chronological order, rather order of significance), and there are already some eyebrow-raising decisions.
Valon Behrami has made his return to the Barclays Premier League with Watford after an unsuccessful year in the Hanseatic city, in which he managed just 22 appearances due to a combination of knee problems, thigh strains and a suspension. Things just didn't really work out, and it is understandable for the player and club in this instance to part company. Behrami must have been claiming a decent wage, so whilst Hamburg may have made a £1.75million loss on their summer 2014 investment, his wages can be used effectively elsewhere.
Jonathan Tah, one of HSV's most promising prospects, departed for pastures new in the form of cash-strapped Bayer Leverkusen, a team clearly set out on annoying Hamburg in every possible way it seems. This one will be a real sickener for Labbadia and co., as a player who has been in the Hamburg system since 2009 has moved on in his career. The fee is estimated to be around £5.25million, which could be argued is a good fee for a player as yet unproven in the top flight, but the policy has to be questioned when allowing a big talent to move to a rival.
Heiko Westermann and Rafael van der Vaart also leave the club, the former as yet to find a club, the latter moving to newly-promoted Real Betis in a move that suits both Rafa and his family. For both players, it could be said that they stayed a year too long, as many argued van der Vaart's return just did not work out and that Westermann has never really been up to scratch as a Bundesliga defender. Both depart with best wishes however, and both free up significant wage budget it can be deduced.
Maximilian Beister has left for Mainz, and he is another player who disappointed after being such an exciting young prospect as he rose through the ranks at Hamburg, where he has been since 2004. He was prolific in a loan spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf, but has failed to capitalise on that momentum upon his return to the Hamburg set-up. HSV need consistent creative players, so unfortunately Beister has had to make way.
Marcell Jansen made one of the most remarkable decision of the off-season by deciding to retire upon learning he would not be offered a new contract by Hamburg. He stated that he just couldn't "kiss another badge" because his love for HSV is so great, something which is admirable and saddening at the same time. With 144 club appearances for the club since 2008, and despite being healthy and just 29 years of age, Jansen has hung up his boots for good.
Other exits include goalkeeper Alexander Brunst to Wolfsburg for a fee of £140,000, as well as Lasse Sobiech who joined St. Pauli on a free transfer following a successful loan, while Slodoban Rajkovic, another defender, was released. Young midfielder Matti Steinmann joined Chemnitzer FC on loan in order to secure more playing time.
So, with some rather high-profile players making way, the budget is set accordingly from which Der Dino have been able to recruit.
Signs of recovery?
In total, 12 players left HSV for a combined £7.84million, meaning there has been some cash to work with.
Lewis Holtby was technically the first new 'permanent signing' as he reached enough appearances during his loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur to trigger an automatic buy, with the fee £4.55million. Although he wasn't quite at his best last season, there is no doubting that if Lewis returns to the form he showed at Schalke and occasionally at Spurs, he can become a very useful and creative player for Hamburg if he can stay healthy.
Albin Ekdal finally arrived at HSV after a drawn-out transfer saga with Cagliari who were relegated to Serie B at the end of the 2014-15 season. He comes in for a fee just over £3million, and the Swedish international will bring a nice balanced skill set to the midfield as he will contribute in both phases of play. The perfect link player, he should slot in perfectly on the right of a midfield three.
Gotoku Sakai made his transfer from Stuttgart official, joining Hamburg for a fee of just £490,000. At the age of 26, Sakai is a versatile defender who can play on both the left and right side. He could potentially partner Ostrzolek as a full-back, or could play back-up to Dennis Diekmeier.
Veteran Emir Spahic is a welcome addition to the defence on a free transfer after he was released by Leverkusen. It remains to be seen what his role is, whether it be as more of a squad player rather than a starter, but he will be a good player and a calm head in the dressing room that will help Labbadia no end.
Also introduced on a free transfer was young striker Batuhan Altintas from Turkish side Bursaspor. More of a signing for the future, Altintas will hope to play his way into Labbadia's plans with a good preseason.
Sven Schipplock is another striker that Hamburg have added to their artillery, signing for a £1.75million fee from Hoffenheim. He will provide stiff competition for the likes of Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Ivica Olic and Artjoms Rudnevs. Schipplock will likely play centre-forward for the red shorts, and could be a useful impact player.
Michael Gregoritsch finally put pen to paper on a deal to bring him to the Volksparkstadion from VfL Bochum in the past week, and he made an instant impact as he set up a Lasogga goal on his debut against Hessen Kassel. Gregoritsch, who spent time on loan at HSV's rivals St. Pauli, can occupy the wing position and adds an extra dimension to Labbadia's attacking tools.
Other transfers include 22-year-old goalkeeper Andreas Hirzel from FC Vaduz in Switzerland, as well as the loan returns of Jacques Zoua and Kerim Demirbay.
What next for Hamburg?
With all the expenditure, a grand total of over £12million has been spent by Hamburg so far this summer. Of course, it goes without saying that the Rothosen needed changes in order to compete, and what has happened so far represents something of an overhaul.
Labbadia now has more options available at his disposal, such as the five strikers, creative midfield players, competition at centre-back and full-back and some good young players returning from loan, the future could be bright for HSV.
The important thing is that instead of last season, in which HSV limped into the winter break with just nine goals, Hamburg capitalise on the fact they escaped so dramatically last year and use it as a motivation and chance to gain momentum.
That may be difficult, with Der Dino opening the season away at Bayern Munich, but who knows, this could be the season that things get back on track for one of the Bundesliga's sleeping giants.