The good vibes are back at Bayer Leverkusen! Director aims 'atmosphere' dig at Erik ten Hag and says players 'know what they're supposed to do' again after friendly win

Leverkusen's managing director of sport is leaving no stone unturned in re-emphasising that Ten Hag's appointment was a disaster, but that his subsequent shock sacking could be nothing less than a blessing. Indeed, Rolfes has claimed that the good vibes have returned in the dressing room after the Dutchman's dismissal, with players now aware of "what they are supposed to do" on the pitch. 

The 2023-24 Bundesliga champions decided to take a gamble on Ten Hag after Xabi Alonso's appointment as the next Real Madrid manager was made official at the end of May. Following an underwhelming spell at Manchester United, the expectation was that the former Ajax coach would thrive in Bundesliga, where the media spotlight and the pressure are considerably lower than the Premier League. 

However, Ten Hag was handed the massive task of taking on a Leverkusen in the depths of a massive overhaul. Indeed, Die Werkself offloaded core players such as Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Piero Hincapie, Lukas Hradecky, Granit Xhaka and Victor Boniface without reinforcing the squad adequately. While Ten Hag won his first competitive game with Leverkusen, a 4-0 win in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, he was relieved of his duties after a loss and a draw in the opening two games of the league. 

Leverkusen bounced back with a 2-1 win over third-tier side Viktoria Koln in a friendly on Wednesday, with Rogier Meijer and Andries Ulderink in charge as interim coaches. Rolfes was delighted after the win, saying he has noticed a significant uptick this week. 

"I definitely sense a good atmosphere. That was also the case during the last two days of training and in the game," he said. "We had a good structure, good routines, so it was really good. Rogier did a great job in his speech and in his preparation for the game. I think that showed. The boys knew what to do, what they were supposed to do, and they executed it well."

He added: "Lucas [Vazquez] naturally brings a lot of experience and quality to our game, and he and Loic [Bade] led the way in terms of communication today. With Equi Fernandez you could see that he was getting better every minute. It was important for all of them today."

Meijer, the assistant coach, has taken over managerial duties in the interim, as Leverkusen scramble to find a suitable replacement for Ten Hag. In the days since his sacking, the Bundesliga giants have been linked with some high-profile names. Former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic is reportedly on the club's radar, while speculation also suggests that Real Madrid legend and former Schalke forward Raul could possibly land his first top-flight job after he was linked to Eintracht Frankfurt. Ange Postecoglou, who was fired by Spurs after guiding them to Europa League triumph at the end of last season, is another name Leverkusen are interested in.