In the previous seasons, Leverkusen still performed very well and they always competed hard with Bayern Munich but this season I don't know why I feel that Leverkusen may not be able to compete as hard as in the previous seasons with Bayern Munich. The biggest reason behind this is the change of manager. Before that, Xabi Alonso was in charge of Leverkusen who is a very experienced and very tactical manager but after he left for Real Madrid, former Manchester United manager Ten Hag has taken over the reins of this team. I have not seen Ten Hag implement such a good strategy for Manchester United so when he manages a new team, naturally I have doubts about his strategy and I feel that he may make Leverkusen worse like Manchester United.
Looking at the points Leverkusen collected last season, actually, they experienced a significant drop in performance, a 21 point difference from the previous season when they won the trophy. Fortunately, they were still able to finish as runners-up and even spent a few weeks in a tight race with Bayern Munich at the top of the table.
We realize that many people are currently doubting Leverkusen chances of winning a trophy next season. The departure of Xabi Alonso, followed by several key players, is the main reason, and that reason sounds very logical. Essentially, I share the same thought. However, it feels unfair to judge Ten Hag too early based on his poor reputation with Manchester United. Who knows, Ten Hag might be able to live up to expectations next season, we'll have to wait and see.