Erik ten Hag is disappointed after false start at Bayer Leverkusen: “We need time”

,, We are disappointed. That is clear, “Ten Hag sighed afterwards.” It was a match with few chances from both sides and in which Hoffenheim was very effective. It took a while before we had control over the match. In the second half we had a lot of ball possession, but we did not succeed in getting any opportunities, too little came into the penalty area. “

False Bundesliga-Start for Erik ten Hag at Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen did take the lead due to an early goal from newcomer Jarell Quansah, but then the home team gave the victory out of his hands. ,, We have created very little, but have taken the lead. Then you should not give away goals that easily. With both goals we have defended too passively, “said Ten Hag.

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It was striking that Leverkusen managed to start danger from game resumes almost only and was not at all threatening from open play. ,, We did not use the spaces well, we have forced into ball possession, we have had a free player, but reached it too little. And we have forced too few opportunities in the sixteen. Not much the opponent, but it was more efficient. “

Leverkusen saw many important forces leave this summer and Ten Hag has to build a new team after the departure of Xabi Alonso. That will be a big challenge, the Dutchman realizes.

“Everyone tells me that it needs time. I can only confirm that. From my experience I know that football is complicated. It is not going from one day to the next, but we need every day to improve ourselves. What is positive is that we have not given away many opportunities. And also that the team was fit and a good team spirit.”

Mark Flekken

Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, who made his return to Brentford in the Bundesliga after his adventure in England, also saw that there should be much better at Leverkusen. ,, This was a competition in which not everything was bad, but not much went well. There were a few nice phases, but we lacked pace in the structure and we made too many mistakes, so we did not get into our rhythm and we were unable to make a breach in the defense of Hoffenheim. “

The disappointing kick-off of the Bundesliga season is a disappointment in the construction of the new Leverkusen, Flekken realizes.

,, How do we have to deal with this? We must be patient. But patience is something that is not always in football. You don’t get much time in football and we don’t have to put forward as an excuse all the time that it is a whole new team. There were six, seven boys in the base, who were also there last year. We have to work very hard to get it back on track as soon as possible. “