Ten Hag’s first test: big defeat and lessons at stake

In European football, the pre-season preparation period is in full swing: Bayer club, under the leadership of head coach Erik ten Hag, played his first friendly match, facing this time the youth team — Flamengo U-20, and suffered an unexpected 5:1 defeat.

After the match, Ten Hag expressed his honest and realistic attitude: “The result is, of course, disappointing. However, I don’t attach much importance to the scores achieved during pre-season preparations. The main thing was that none of the players got injured. Naturally, no one likes such a big defeat. But at this stage, every player got a chance and tried himself on the field. If we had played the match later, perhaps things would have been different,” said the Dutch specialist.

Ten Hag emphasized that this match was a good opportunity to see the team’s shortcomings and eliminate them. The coach also considers it important to use the match to assess the physical condition of certain players, test new tactics, and give young players a chance.

According to analysts, Ten Hag’s team must draw the necessary conclusions and prepare even better for the season. A big defeat will encourage the players to regroup both mentally and tactically for the following games.

Fans are watching with great interest to see what changes will take place in Bayer after this debut, and whether Ten Hag’s correct and strict approaches will yield results. Sometimes, big defeats become the most important lessons. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!