Goalkeeper Mark Flekken has expressed his clear frustration after Bayer Leverkusen's 2:3 defeat to newly-promoted Elversberg, criticizing the team's poor start to the season. The Dutchman highlighted a lack of physical and mental presence from the entire squad.
Die Werkself begann the new campaign with a surprising loss to the third-division side. Flekken conceded three goals but prevented an even heavier defeat. After the final whistle, the 33-year-old vented his anger openly. "Everything we had planned to do was missing today," the goalkeeper said. "On top of that, we were physically not present."
Flekken blamed the lack of energy and game understanding for the weak performance. He was baffled by how the match unfolded, with Leverkusen falling behind early in both halves. "It lacked mental capacity, it lacked energy, it lacked game understanding," the keeper stated bluntly. His ironic laughter after the game reflected the general bewilderment.
The goalkeeper stressed that the team had shown good performances during pre-season. The display in Elversberg stood in stark contrast to that. Flekken does not want to "throw the whole team under the bus," but sees urgent need for action. The current squad at Bayer Leverkusen has experienced players who should normally provide stability.
Flekken valued only the two late Bayer Leverkusen goals, which brought some tension back into the match, as a positive. "That you then still have a chance for 3:3 at the end, that shouldn't really be possible after a game like that," he admitted. This small comeback attempt does not change the disappointing overall impression of the performance.
The defeat is a setback at the start of a long season with many important fixtures. The upcoming fixtures will show if the team can respond quickly. Next week already brings the Bundesliga match against Union Berlin, where Leverkusen is under pressure to turn things around.
The team must quickly analyze the mistakes from the match. Flekken demanded immediate improvement: "Next week there is another game and a lot has to get better there." The focus now shifts to preparing for the clash with Union Berlin, an important test for the mental strength of Die Werkself.
The current table position after this first game is naturally unsatisfactory. A look at the standings shows that every missed opportunity in the fight for top positions can be costly. The staff around coach Xabi Alonso will have to work on the identified weaknesses in the coming training sessions to get the season back on track.
