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Leverkusen (dpa) - Bayer Leverkusen now has a coaching discussion, a goalkeeper discussion and a mentality discussion: After the second early exit in a cup competition in February, almost everything is in question at the Bundesliga club.
The analysis of the three subject areas after the end of the second round in the Europa League through two defeats against the Swiss double winner Young Boys Bern (3: 4 and 0: 2):
THE TRAINER DISCUSSION: Sports director Simon Rolfes had assured "kicker" before the Bern game: "A change of coach is not an issue."
At the same time, he had made it clear that Bayer was "all the more challenged in the Europa League" after the cup disgrace at the fourth division club Rot-Weiss Essen.
The end in the second round therefore brings coach Peter Bosz to explain.
Bosz will have to qualify for the Champions League.
The gap to fourth place is currently five points.
Should the bosses get the impression that the Dutchman can no longer manage the turnaround, an earlier separation cannot be ruled out.
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THE GOALKEEPER DISCUSSION: Niklas Lomb was goalkeeper number two at Bayer for years, he was awarded three times in the 2nd and 3rd division.
Now his probation failed - and it became a nightmare.
Four days after the mistake at 1: 1 in Augsburg, the 27-year-old made the next big blunder when he dropped a cross before the 0: 1.
Regular goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky will be out even longer with his Achilles tendon injury.
But it seems possible that Bosz will put the U21 national goalkeeper Lennart Grill in goal on Sunday against Freiburg, who is no longer registered in the Europa League.
He still needs time, the coach had said on Wednesday.
Should the insecure Lomb be preferred to him, that would be violent for the barbecue, which cost two million in the summer.
When asked about a possible goalkeeper change, Bosz said: "I would first like to talk to everyone involved about it."
Sounds hard like a grill.
THE MENTALITY DEBATE: Two ex-national players spoke clearly as experts on “Nitro”.
Steffen Freund said he missed the fact that the players cheered or cheered each other on.
Roman Weidenfeller also “missed body language”.
The current national player Jonathan Tah assured against it: "Everyone gave everything."
Both are correct.
Because the Leverkusen mentality problem is not one of not wanting, but one of hierarchy.
Nadiem Amiri put it this way: "We have to play more grown-up and dirtier."
Without the Bender twins Sven and Lars and the also injured Hradecky and Julian Baumgartlinger, leaders are missing.
Captain Charles Aranguiz is in poor form after a long injury.
The national players Tah, Amiri or Kerem Demirbay have not grown back in leadership roles.
That could be the problem in the near future too.
And, to close the circle, become dangerous for Bosz.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210226-99-599262 / 2