Bundesliga News

How Leverkusen could play under Peter Bosz

By Rune Gjerulff   @runegjerulff

Peter Bosz has taken over as Bayer Leverkusen coach - and he is expected to change a lot of things.
Peter Bosz.
Peter Bosz.Photo: Светлана Бекетова/Soccer.ru/CC-by-SA 3.0
Peter Bosz is back in the Bundesliga! The former Borussia Dortmund coach has taken over from Heiko Herrlich as Bayer Leverkusen coach, and he is expected to make some remarkable changes at his new club.


At his first press conference as Leverkusen coach, the 55-year-old insisted that he has learned from the mistakes he made at Dortmund where the Dutchman was sacked in December 2017 after just six months in the coaching seat.

"I made mistakes at Dortmund. But it's about learning from those mistakes. It's about experience, and I take that experience with me now," Bosz said at the press conference and added:

"I wanted to go back to the Bundesliga, because I wasn't done here yet. My time here was way too short. I don't think people here have seen the real Peter Bosz."

So which changes will Bosz make at the BayArena? According to Sport Bild, the Dutchman plans to once again rely on the offensive 4-3-3 system that seemed so promising at the very beginning of his spell at Borussia Dortmund, but which he eventually failed to convince with at Signal Iduna Park.

Over the years, Bosz has become known for his dynamic, direct, high energy pressing game. He relies on quick offensive players and would definitely rather draw 3-3 than 0-0.


Bosz experienced great success with this playing style at Ajax, but wasn't able to successfully implement the same tactical approach at Borussia Dortmund with a different, older squad, playing a different league.

During his six-month spell at Dortmund, the 55-year-old was criticized for lacking a Plan B and holding on to his 4-3-3 system for far too long - and when he finally tried out a 3-4-3 formation, the writing was already on the wall for him.

According to Sport Bild, Jonathan Tah has been given a key role in the new Leverkusen team. Apparently, Bosz wants the 22-year-old to be his defensive playmaker - the player who pulls the strings in the build-up from the back.

Additionally, Bosz will rely on Tah to use his pace and position himself cleverly to close gaps when the opponent is on the ball.

Meanwhile, the 55-year-old wants his defensive midfielders to be interceptors of the ball above all - a role that would fit players such as Charles Aranguiz and Lars Bender.

Further forward, an attacking force consisting of Kai Havertz, Julian Brandt, Leon Bailey and Kevin Volland looks likely. They all have the qualities that could make them fit in well in Bosz's system - and so does Karim Bellarabi and Paulinho.

However, Julian Brandt and particularly Leon Bailey have disappointing so far this season, and it's now up to the Dutch coach to make them shine again.

Generally, Bosz has something to prove in Germany - and only time will tell if the Leverkusen squad is better suited to his playing style and if he indeed has learned from his mistakes at Dortmund.

This is how Sport Bild estimates his starting eleven could look:

Lukas Hradecky

Mitchell Weiser
Jonathan Tah
Sven Bender
Wendell

Charles Aranguiz
Lars Bender
Kai Havertz

Julian Brandt
Kevin Volland
Leon Bailey


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