Ten Hag asking for patience after hard landing with new-look Leverkusen

by Oliver Trust

BERLIN, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Erik ten Hag might already have known he wouldn't get what he asked for.

The 55-year-old Dutchman called for patience after Bayer Leverkusen's shaky start to the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, with a 2-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim on Saturday.

"This doesn't come as a surprise. If you win, things go faster, but still, it takes time. Things don't happen overnight," said the former Ajax and Manchester United coach.

But in professional football, patience is rarely part of the rulebook. Even for a team that made history by winning its first Bundesliga title and German Cup in 2024, reality hit hard. After unprecedented success, Leverkusen suddenly found itself stripped of 15 players.

Few top European clubs have ever been forced into such a drastic rebuild. Expectations remain, but they now weigh heavily on the squad and its new manager.

Leverkusen's latest campaign began with a rough landing for Ten Hag, who inherited a Herculean task from Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard, after cementing his legacy in Germany, answered the call of Real Madrid earlier this summer.

Team pillars like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong (both Liverpool), Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), and Amine Adli (Bournemouth) all departed, while the club's slick PR slogan - "A new chapter, the same fire" - rang hollow.

Last season's second-place finish had raised hopes of sustained dominance. Now, with the magic moments seemingly packed in the luggage of those who left, sporting director Simon Rolfes is left scrambling. Reports suggest several signings could arrive before the German transfer window closes on September 1.

"If things don't click with a newly assembled squad, you start playing against yourself," observed goalkeeper Mark Flekken, a new signing this summer from Brentford.

"You don't get patience, but we need it now," Ten Hag added, urging his side to look forward without excuses. "We might need every day to work ourselves out of this. It will take time, but at the same time, we must deliver quickly."

Ten Hag's first lineup, featuring only three players from last season, underlined the scale of the challenge. Rolfes admitted that after the Alonso era, an infusion of new blood was inevitable.

"This kind of relaunch is the biggest challenge a football club can face," the former Germany international said. "We'll stay calm, but we know the size of the task." ■