The challenging period that Erik ten Hag experienced as the head coach of Bayer Leverkusen has been thoroughly examined by the German press.
The former manager of Manchester United only oversaw three matches before his dismissal, representing yet another unsuccessful stint in a managerial role.
Following the departures of prominent players such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Piero Hincapie to teams in the Premier League, Ten Hag faced an uphill battle from the beginning, and detailed information has now surfaced regarding his time in Germany.
Erik ten Hag’s disaster spell included ‘no communication with staff’
Securing only one victory in a competitive match – a German Cup match against Sonnenhof Großaspach, a team from the fourth division – Ten Hag’s shortcomings were exacerbated by the evident lack of support he encountered.
However, as reported by the German publication BILD, there was a fundamental lack of confidence in the 55-year-old’s capacity to perform his responsibilities, and he remained uninformed about the club’s intentions to recruit Lucas Vaquez and appoint him as the club captain for the upcoming season.
The former manager of Ajax is also being criticized for intervening in the club’s strategic planning and player acquisition processes, allegedly suggesting potential players who were represented by SEG, the same agency that represents him. During his tenure at Manchester United, Ten Hag recruited several players who were clients of SEG, and a number of them also played under his direction in the Netherlands.
Moreover, it has been reported that the environment within the club was very distant, and sources indicate that Ten Hag did not establish good relationships with anyone at the club, including the individuals he had personally chosen and brought to Germany.
According to FourFourTwo‘s assessment, Ten Hag’s fate was determined from the start, considering the significant departure of players following the exit of the previous coach, Xabi Alonso.
Nine players departed from the club throughout the summer, and the team that secured the 2023-24 Bundesliga title now seems distant from its recent achievements.
