After using a 2008-2009 season thread throughout all of the 2009-2010 season, it seems appropriate to finally create a thread that is up to date. Furthermore, the return of the Werkself to the training ground means that it's officially time to start anticipating the start of the Bundesliga! After an exciting season (with an admittedly disappointing finish) at the BayArena, changes have been made. Most notably, Michael Ballack has returned to the club, prompting Rudi Voller to say, "We were just lacking something and I think that Michael is that." Hopefully he's right, because optimism runs high that we can challenge for silverware in all three of our competitions this season -- League, Cup, and Europa League. Perhaps Ballack will be the player to push us over the top. However, Ballack isn't the only new player to find his way to the BayArena. Hanno Balitsch (Hannover 96), Jens Hegeler (return from loan), Kevin Kampl (Bayer II), Marcel Risse (return from loan), Sidney Sam (Kaiserslautern) and Domagoj Vida (Osijek) will all be playing for Leverkusen this season. Their presence is much welcomed, especially with the departure of Toni Kroos back to Bayern Munich. Hopefully these players will be able to mesh well with the likes of Kiessling, Derdiyok, Renato Augusto, Barnetta, Rolfes, Adler, etc. and form a great team. I'm ready for the season to start!
Oh, wow. It will be interesting to see whose spot he takes in the midfield. Vidal, maybe? Perhaps our lineup will be Augusto, Rolfes, Ballack, and Barnetta. Then again, it is likely he won't be fit at the start of the season so it won't be an issue until he's able to play.
Preseason preparations seem to be going well. After a 12-0 win over some local Zillertal team, Leverkusen beat Wacker Innsbruck 3-1. Patrick Helmes scored twice and new signing Nicolai Jörgensen got the other. Both started, along with Sidney Sam and Domagoj Vida. Starting lineup for Bayer 04: Adler; Vida, Friedrich, Hyypia, Castro; Reinartz, Bender; Renato Augusto, Sam; Helmes, Jörgensen It's hard to tell how things really were based solely off of a match report, but the team seems to be doing well. I'm getting really excited for this season, especially with our new signings appearing to be a solid overall addition to the team already in place. Also, the report mentioned Lars Bender's name a lot. Hopefully that's a sign of good things to come!
These matches mean about as much as early pre-season NFL games. I'm excited to see what you guys are going to do this coming season, but beating a 2nd League Austrian team in the summer means about as much as BVB beating a sixth-division team 9-0. Absolutely nothing. The first time both of us will get a real feel for what our teams are going to be like will be either the first round of the German Cup or our Euro League playoff matches.
I know they mean nothing. It's just the pre-season and I thought I'd report on something the team is doing.
Can't wait to track you guys this season! Good mix of young talent and experience. Best of luck in the new season!
I believe a defender, a CB is necessary for your team as other areas in terms of the starting XI is set. Maybe a bit more depth, but you have bought some players for this. The main thing your team needs is guts and some leadership Hyppia & Balla offer it but some players simply need to step up.
Why do they need another center back EQ? What's wrong with Hyppia and Manuel Friedrich?? And even for depth, they signed Croatian U-21 center back Domagoj Vida. Germany U-21 player Stefan Reinartz can back up in the center and at both wing positions too. And that's not even counting former Germany international Lukas Sinkiewicz. The only position I can see where they might be lacking in "depth" is left back. But they have a few "defensive all-rounders" who can back up there, including Ghana's Hans Sarpei. I think their toughest task will be replacing the offensive spark Kroos gave them last season. But they'll count on Ballack to give them part of that from the center. You can bet we're going to see the old "offensive" Michael Ballack again and not the defensive "machine" Chelsea made him into because those bastards wanted to continue catering to Frank Lampard.
Footy, you said everything I wanted to in response to EQ. Well said. Repped. Also, Reinartz played as one of the two defensive midfielders in Heynckes' 4-2-2-2 system last year. EDIT: Must spread...
Yep, I knew Reinartz played some d-mid for you guys too. I feel his future will be in the center. That's why I didn't mention his ability to play d-mid too.
Well, "officially." He's been with the team but the contract wasn't signed until just now. We've tied him up for five years. This is a signing I'm really excited about. What's wrong with our support? I'm under no illusions as to how many fans we have, but it's not like we don't have any fans. Besides, what does "real support" have to do with making us "amazing to watch?" If you love the squad, then you'd love watching them irregardless of the amount of fans in the stadium. The team remains the same despite the size of our fanbase. Then again, maybe I'm just confused.
The last time I checked, the perceived level of support doesn't make a team either more amazing or less amazing to watch. There are some awful teams with fanatical support, yet quite boring. If Bayer doesn't have a huge amount of ultras or hooligans, to me, that's a good thing.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect by my post. I think Leverkusen is extremely fun to watch. I am in the process of choosing a Bundesliga Club. If you want to know the whole story, go here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1488142 Anyways, I simply meant that I would love to make Leverkusen my team if they had better support. I have heard nothing but poor reports of Leverkusen's support. I have heard that it is a dreary crowd. Forgive me of my ignorance.
They have a real nice stadium. It doesn't seat as many as a lot of other teams, but it is very modern and comfortable. The seats are the closest to the field of any stadium in the Bundesliga, so that is a real plus. You don't need binoculars to tell what the heck is going on. The club definitely has the stigma of it being a "corporate front" with unpassionate fans who are more business types looking to recline in a nice box seat than be drunk and singing for the whole match. But that is mostly exclaimed by their rivals who try to put them down. Some of it is justified but there's also plenty of passionate fans too.