Erik ten Hag’s abrupt sack: Was Bayer Leverkusen decision fair?
Former Bayer Leverkusen manager, Erik ten Hag. Photo Credit- Metro News
On September 1, 2025, Bayer Leverkusen stunned the footballing world by sacking Erik ten Hag after just two Bundesliga matches, a mere three months into his tenure as manager. The Dutch tactician, who succeeded the revered Xabi Alonso in May, managed only a 4-0 DFB-Pokal win, a 2-1 league defeat to Hoffenheim, and a chaotic 3-3 draw against 10-man Werder Bremen before his dismissal. As reported by ESPN and The Guardian, this swift decision marks a low point in Ten Hag’s illustrious career and sparks critical questions about the unrealistic expectations placed on managers in modern football. This critique delves into the context of his sacking, the contributing factors, and the broader implications for Leverkusen and the sport, arguing that the club’s impatience reflects a troubling trend in the game.
Erik ten Hag’s rough start in Bundesliga
Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Bayer Leverkusen began with promise but revealed an alarming speed, culminating in his sacking after just two league games. Appointed for his proven success; six titles with Ajax and two trophies with Manchester United, Ten Hag faced immediate challenges. A 5-1 pre-season loss to Flamengo’s U20s set a worrying tone, followed by a 4-0 DFB-Pokal win over fourth-tier Sonnenhof Grossaspach. However, the Bundesliga campaign exposed deeper issues: a 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim, despite Jarell Quansah’s early goal, highlighted defensive vulnerabilities, while a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen saw Leverkusen squander a two-goal lead. The team’s one point from two matches left them 12th, a clear difference to Alonso’s unbeaten 2023/24 title-winning season. SofaScore data shows five goals scored but five conceded, with a 52% possession average and a meager 2.8 expected goals (xG), underscoring a lack of cohesion.
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Factors that led to ten Hag sack
Blaming Ten Hag alone for Leverkusen’s early struggles oversimplifies a complex situation marked by a club in significant transition. The summer of 2025 saw a big squad overhaul, with key departures including Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool, Granit Xhaka to Sunderland, Amine Adli to Bournemouth, and Jonathan Tah to Bundesliga rival, Bayern Munich. As The Athletic noted, these exits stripped Leverkusen of leadership and quality, leaving Ten Hag with a €170m-rebuilt squad featuring newcomers like Malik Tillman, Jarell Quansah, and Loïc Badé. Integrating such a high turnover of players in just three months is a daunting task, even for a manager with Ten Hag’s credentials. His conservative 4-2-3-1 formation clashed with Alonso’s top-level, attacking style, leading to player confusion. Additionally, Ten Hag’s exclusion from transfer decisions, such as the signing of Lucas Vazquez, fueled internal friction, per Football Transfer. The lack of public support from sporting director Simon Rolfes or CEO Fernando Carro, as reported by Kicker, further isolated him, suggesting a club unprepared to weather the storm of a rebuild
A broader look at modern football
Ten Hag’s sacking is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend of managerial impatience in football, where immediate results trump long-term vision. The Guardian highlighted that Ten Hag is the third ex-Manchester United manager sacked in a week, alongside Jose Mourinho (Fenerbahce) and Ole Gunnar Solskaer (Besiktas), showing the sport’s ruthless nature. Ten Hag’s record; three Eredivisie titles, a 2019 Champions League semifinal with Ajax, and two trophies with United, proves his quality. His time under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich’s reserves and at Utrecht, where he transformed players like Willem Janssen, showcases his tactical ability. Yet, Leverkusen’s decision to act after two games ignores the context of a squad overhaul and echoes Manchester United’s premature dismissal of him in October 2024, despite recent silverware. Alonso inherited a stable squad, whereas Ten Hag faced a fragmented one and expectations to replicate an unrepeatable 2023/24 season. The Athletic’s claim that “the playing squad have not taken to Ten Hag’s coaching” rings hollow when given such a brief window, raising concerns about Leverkusen’s strategic foresight.
The sacking of Erik ten Hag after just two Bundesliga matches serves as a cautionary tale about the direction of modern football, where managerial tenures are increasingly at the mercy of instant gratification. Leverkusen’s statement, via Rolfes, admitted the decision was “not easy” but necessary, claiming “building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible.” However, denying Ten Hag time to mold a squad gutted by seven key departures seems shortsighted and risks destabilizing the club further. The temporary appointment of the assistant coaching staff, as confirmed by Leverkusen, and the absence of a named successor create uncertainty ahead of crucial post-international break fixtures. This move could deter top managerial candidates, wary of a club quick to pull the trigger. For Ten Hag, the setback is significant but not fatal; his resilience post-United suggests a comeback, potentially in a league more aligned with his structured approach. For football, this episode highlights the need for clubs to balance ambition with patience, lest they sacrifice stability for fleeting results.
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Final take
Erik ten Hag’s dismissal from Bayer Leverkusen after just two Bundesliga games is a stark illustration of football’s unforgiving impatience. While his conservative tactics and a disharmonious squad contributed to a faltering start, the club’s decision to sack a proven manager so swiftly overlooks the challenges of a major squad overhaul and the shadow of Xabi Alonso’s extraordinary tenure. Sitting 12th in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen now face a season of uncertainty, risking further instability with no clear successor in place. For Ten Hag, this is a painful setback, but his track record suggests he will rebound. For football, it’s a reminder that the relentless pursuit of instant success can undermine the very foundations of progress, leaving Leverkusen and the sport at a crossroads.
