With just 1 victory from eight games, Bayer Leverkusen was placed in second-to-last place in the Bundesliga. The squad also suffered two humiliating CL exits, was knocked out of the opening round of GC (German Cup) by 3rd Liga club SV Elversberg. That involved not only firing the new coach (Gerardo Seoane), but also replacing him with Xabi Alonso, a manager without major tournament experience who is not from a Germanic country.
New innovations from Xabi Alonso
The team’s organizational instability was the cause of Seoane’s problems. He focused his assaults on moving the ball forward as quickly as possible to provide scoring possibilities. However, opponents would’ve had a rapid transition chance if his teammates lost possession during the process since Leverkusen were not really structurally ready for the counter-press and they’d be dangerously exposed. They had a similar issue previous season, yet their offensive thrived to cover it up. They haven’t been able to outscore their opponents like they used to the current season, particularly without the wounded Florian Wirtz.
Similar to Seoane, Alonso likewise employs a combination of 4/2/3/1 as well as 3/4/3 formations as a starting point, but the key distinction is the organization of his player usage. Alonso nearly solely employs his wingers in the half gaps, unlike the previous head coach, who utilized them to generate width and cross inside afterwards during offensive phases.
This is a characteristic of his strategic play concept, a tactical idea that comprises a set of rigid guidelines dictating player alignment and ball advancement. Guardiola and Arteta are just a couple of the players that use this idea, however they all have their own unique methods of doing so.
Alonso’s team properly realizes manager’s strategy
With just one full week through practice, Alonso’s organization on the field is already quite apparent. Leverkusen’s game management adheres to clear rules on when and how to offer breadth. Alonso’s wingers may stay within and between their competitors’ lines since Leverkusen’s wingbacks often occupy the wings. Their center backs often hold back while stretching out wider to participate in their constructing play. A 2 plus 1 or 3 plus 1 building-up structure is created by having one defensive midfielder remain closer to and better integrated to the center backs.
