"If we finish third then I would say it has been a decent season but not outstanding. We didn't get off to the best of starts and to finish third behind Chelsea and Manchester United wouldn't be a major disappointment," said the German international.
"Our final points total would have been enough to win the league in other years but what we've achieved this year will give us something to build on for next season.
"We had two really good spells this season where we won a lot of games on the bounce and so if we finish outside of the top two after those runs then it will be very disappointing. But that tells you that over the other games we didn't do as well as we could have done. That's where we need to improve for next year. To win the league you need to be consistent for ten months and 38 games. The manager is bringing in new players and improving the squad and so I'm sure we'll be even closer next year and capable of challenging at the top."