In the aftermath of a summer squad upheaval, there are still many kinks in Bayer Leverkusen's operational gears. Many parts of the team remain rusty, and the measures implemented by new head coach Erik ten Hag have so far been largely ineffective. Doubts surrounding Ten Hag have been growing by the day.
Following an uninspiring victory over a regional league side in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) and a heavy home defeat to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga opener, Leverkusen has made a rocky start to the season. The impact of the departure of six key players from last season is evident for Leverkusen. Meanwhile, Ten Hag—who succeeded Xabi Alonso—has not received positive feedback from the club. The team's recent performances have led to Ten Hag "coming under question" within Leverkusen. The poor performance and disarray against Hoffenheim have left the club "disillusioned". Overall, the rebuilt team "lacks almost everything", both in defense and attack. As a result, doubts about the adequacy of Ten Hag's preparations have inevitably emerged. Additionally, Ten Hag's speeches to the players have also become a topic of concern.
Ten Hag is therefore "under observation" at Leverkusen, especially since the Dutchman already lacks a foundation of trust to begin with—having endured a period of complete chaos during his time at Manchester United. For the upcoming away match against Werder Bremen, a victory is imperative, and ideally, it should come with a convincing performance. Otherwise, Leverkusen's team sentiment could quickly tip entirely negative, and Ten Hag's position could start to shake violently.
