From Redemption to Ruin: Erik Ten Hag's Leverkusen Disaster

Manager Erik Ten Hag has become a rather divisive figure during his tenure at Manchester United, which also included his issues with several players, the most prominent being Cristiano Ronaldo. However, when he took over at Bayer Leverkusen, it seemed like the perfect moment for him to make a notorious comeback and prove his doubters wrong... but that wasn't the case.

Ten Hag was sacked after a couple of official matches and became the talk of the town once again for all the wrong reasons. It was a very sudden event and one that made a lot of people scratch their heads wondering what happened. There is only speculation at the moment, with the Dutch manager claiming he needed more time.

So, let's see what we have thus far.

His Agency

The agency of Erik Ten Hag, Sports Entertainment Group, most commonly known as SEG, has been controversial since his United days. There have been several reports of this agency playing a role in some of the signings and sales within the Red Devils, with the most prominent example being getting striker Rasmus Højlund from Atalanta.

When it comes to Leverkusen, there have been reports of discontent regarding how SEG operated within the institution and how this was affecting the way they do deals. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, signed from English Premier League side Brentford, is not only the manager's compatriot, but also a part of SEG.

Therefore, while it hasn't been confirmed, it can be theorized that the influence of his agency is something that has played a role in the decision to sack him.

Losing key players

Now, granted, it has to be mentioned that not everything was Ten Hag's fault. The club allowed the sales of several key players, footballers that were instrumental in winning the Bundesliga with manager Xabi Alonso. Midfielder Florian Wirtz and wing-back Jeremie Frimpong left for Liverpool and center-back Jonathan Tah joined Bayern Munich.

Granit Xhaka

These were three major leaders and quality performers who Ten Hag didn't have the time to replace in terms of tactics and system. Therefore, this is a factor that needs to be considered, especially with the element that Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka was sold when the Dutch manager wanted to keep him, which he stated in public.

"This club has lost three important players and we won't lose more," Ten Hag said in late July regarding Xhaka. "Granit is a leader. He signed here for five years and still has three to go. He's too important for us to sell him."

Losing a player who was a proven leader and a difference-maker in the season they won the Bundesliga with Alonso was certainly a major wound to Ten Hag's project. It is something that needs to be highlighted since these individuals couldn't be properly replaced.

Communication Problems

A running issue throughout Ten Hag's career is the fact he struggles to communicate his ideas. This is something that, apparently, cost him his potential job at Tottenham Hotspurs a few years ago. And his forward coach at United, Benni McCarthy, highlighted these issues when he was at Old Trafford as well.

"In modern football, I believe that players want to see a bit more passion in their coach," McCarthy said. "They need to feel that the coach is with them and willing to fight alongside them. Tactically, I feel that Erik is at the top. He lacks a bit of that fire, that passion."

It has been mentioned time and time again that, while capable of speaking several languages, Ten Hag struggles to talk in foreign languages. This is something that took a toll during his time at Leverkusen, with a lot of players and working staff struggling to connect with him, which is something that probably had a degree of influence in this decision.

"What happened then is emblematic of our current situation," Robert Andrich said after the Werder Bremen match, as per The Guardian. "We have too many people who are preoccupied with other things, too many who are only concerned with themselves, and that's what the game looked like. Everyone played for themselves."

Andrich's comments seem to highlight a disjointed squad of players, and this serves to point out how Ten Hag failed to get them in line.

Issues With the Board

This is probably the biggest reason and the most logical. It is worth pointing out that Erik Ten Hag wasn't Bayer Leverkusen's first choice, which is something that happened because they could pry Cesc Fabregas away from Italian side Como. So, there is an argument to be made that the German institution were more willing to cut ties with a manager they were not very committed to.

The Granit Xhaka situation also highlights how he wanted to keep a player and the board still sold him, which could serve as evidence of how things were not working out between them. In that regard, it could be interpreted as the board realizing they didn't want to work with someone who wasn't on the same page as them.

"I feel this was never a relationship based on mutual trust," Ten Hag said in a statement after getting sacked. "Throughout my career, every season I have been able to see through to the end as a coach has brought success. Clubs that placed their trust in me have been rewarded with success."

The Aftermath

Ultimately, Erik Ten Hag was the first-ever Bundesliga manager to be sacked two league games into a season, which is something that is always going to generate debates. It was a very bizarre moment for both the club and the manager, to the point that people are still debating to this very day.

For Leverkusen, it was the need to start again and doing so in the middle of a season, which was a risky decision by the board. When it comes to Erik Ten Hag, this was another low moment in his career after a complicated time at United.

On the 8th of September, a week after Ten Hag had been sacked, the Dane Kasper Hjulmand came in as the club's new coach.