A disastrous 1:5 against Bayern, a decent 1:1 in Sevilla, a disappointing 2:2 in Cologne and now the cup knockout against KSC – Bayer 04 Leverkusen is going through the first low point of this season.
Plugging away their best chance of winning the title at home against a second-division team is a brutal setback for Bayer Leverkusen, as Jonathan Tah also admitted. “The disappointment is of course very big, very difficult to deal with,” explained the defence boss, who did not want to make excuses for the failure afterwards.
For example, the international did not accept the absence of both injured centre forwards, Patrik Schick and Lucas Alario. Even if the lack of efficiency in the 1:2 against KSC was a decisive factor. Nevertheless, Tah emphasised: “Of course we missed both of them, but that didn’t have much to do with it. It was also the case in the last few games that we didn’t manage to finish situations properly, that we weren’t clear enough in our actions, not focused enough.”
As in Cologne, Bayer had let numerous promising situations go to waste with a mixture of carelessness and lack of concentration. “It wasn’t that it wasn’t possible,” Tah said of missing out on progress despite conceding early and a lack of efficiency of his own.
Tah takes Hradecky’s side to task: “Everyone is allowed to make mistakes “
Tah also refused to focus on Lukas Hradecky’s serious mistake before the 1:2 when the goalkeeper played the ball into the feet of Karlsruhe’s goalscorer Choi. Certainly not to formulate any accusations. “No, Lukas has shown in enough games that he is an enormously important player for us as captain, as a leading player,” the 25-year-old explained, “Everyone is allowed to make mistakes.”
Which, unfortunately, Bayer took too literally on this evening. Tah and his defensive colleague Edmond Tapsoba did not cut a good figure either in the early 0:1. And up front, Moussa Diaby, Amine Adli and substitute Spanish U-17 international Iker Bravo, who at 16 years and 287 days became the youngest professional in Leverkusen’s history to play as a wild card, missed the best chances.
Despite all the problems, however, Tah sees no parallel to the previous season, when Bayer suffered a brutal crash after losing 2-1 to Bayern Munich on matchday 13. Whether he was sure there would be no repeat of history, Tah was asked. “Definitely,” the defender replied, “because we are not in the last year. “
“The game against Wolfsburg is hugely important. “
TAH
Even though there has been a lack of success recently, he does not see a break in the Werkself’s game. “It was clear that it can’t go so steeply uphill all the time,” the giant explained, but stressed, “we still have the same actions. If we take advantage of those, it looks the same as at the beginning of the season.”
But that is precisely the crucial question: how strong is Bayer really? Even in what were on paper magnificent victories, such as against Gladbach and at Celtic Glasgow (both 4-0), the Werkself conceded a series of goal-scoring chances and in the opening phase of the season were only punished by BVB for these carelessnesses in a 4-3 defeat.
Bayer get the receipt for carelessness in defence and offence
Now, however, Bayer gets the receipt for carelessness in both defence and offence in every game, albeit with brutal harshness. A situation that is dangerous, as Tah knows. An impression that must not be allowed to take root. “We have to shake that off as quickly as possible. The next game is not far away. We have to draw our conclusions from the game. Also from the last games, in which we were not efficient, and bring something better on the pitch at home against Wolfsburg.”
If this does not succeed as early as Saturday, there is a threat of what Tah may not yet realise. “The game against Wolfsburg is enormously important. Above all for our self-confidence. That we don’t start talking about being in a hole – because that’s not how I see it.”
Now, in the first difficult phase of the season, it is the new managers like Tah who have to prove themselves after the departure of the Bender brothers. Otherwise, another setback against struggling Wolves would possibly also significantly change the perspective of the defence chief.