Leverkusen Manager Simon Rolfes Slams Team’s Zweikampf Performance After Augsburg Defeat
Augsburg – Bayer Leverkusen manager Simon Rolfes sharply criticized his team’s lack of competitive spirit following a 2-0 loss to Augsburg, marking their fourth league defeat of the season. Rolfes specifically pointed to a concerning retreat from physical challenges, a departure from Leverkusen’s recent form.
The defeat raises questions about Leverkusen’s consistency as they navigate a demanding schedule including recent matches against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund. While acknowledging the intensity of recent fixtures, Rolfes emphasized the essential need for commitment in duels, nonetheless of opponent or circumstance.The result places added pressure on Leverkusen to rediscover their winning form and maintain their position in the Bundesliga standings.
Rolfes expressed his frustration with the team’s unwillingness to contest challenges, stating, “After the first two, three minutes, we shied away from the duels. We haven’t done that in recent weeks, but today we did. Football is also a physical game. We want to play good football, technical football, dynamic football. But that also includes being there in the duels.” He punctuated his point by repeatedly striking his left hand with his right.
The Leverkusen manager further elaborated,”There are notable situations you have to win to keep the ball and develop the game. And we shirked that duty. We avoided it, and that’s simply the reality – something we don’t usually do.We will show a different attitude going forward.”
when pressed for an clarification for the lackluster performance, Rolfes acknowledged the recent workload but insisted it wasn’t an excuse. “No,” he responded, “of course, these have been three intense games with Manchester City and twice against Dortmund, no question. But you can also have arduous situations and have to work your way into the game. For that, you have to defend uncompromisingly. Augsburg had so many situations in the first half, always following the same pattern. We didn’t learn from that.”
(Photo: Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images)
