Even when Xabi Alonso was with Bayer Leverkusen last season, their performance declined to the extent that if Bayern Munich dropped points, Bayer Leverkusen would not win their match even though they were playing against a weak team, which is one of the things that made Bayern Munich win the German Bundesliga title last season. Next season Bayer Leverkusen's performance will decline more because they will be without their best players, and they have a new coach, whom people doubt will succeed at Bayer Leverkusen.
It is the high expectations people had for Leverkusen last season that made many overlook their performance. But to me, they really tried, and their performances were not bad they were good. It was because of the unbeaten run they had in the previous two seasons, and the fact that they won the Bundesliga, that many people were expecting even greater performances from Leverkusen.
Finishing in second place last season was actually a great achievement for them. Personally, I wasn't expecting Leverkusen to win the Bundesliga again, because I knew they didn’t have the kind of squad needed to keep dominating the league. However, many people still believed they would win it again.the truth is, even if Xabi Alonso were still at Leverkusen, I don't think their performance this season would remain as strong as it was in the last two seasons unless they significantly strengthen their team. And I doubt Leverkusen have the kind of money needed to buy top-quality players.