FM14: Bayer Leverkusen - Stepping out of the Shadows

[rafaelbenitez]

A HISTORY OF THE CLUB:

THE BEGINNING:

It all started with a letter to the board of directors of the Bayer works, then called the “Paint factories formerly known as Friedrich Bayer & Co.”. In February 1903 Wilhelm Hausschild, the former secretary of the Wuppertal Gymnastics Association, sent a letter signed by 170 employees to the management of today’s global corporation applying to set up a gymnastics and sports club.

The answer came on 1 July 1904 when one of the first German works sports clubs was established: the Gymnastics and Sports Club of the paint factories formerly known as Friedrich Bayer & Co. or TuS 04 for short.

When the club was founded, there were already demands to include football in the range of sports on offer.

At the start of the twentieth century, football was becoming increasingly popular amongst young men. But the founders of the club, with their commitment to gymnastic traditions, were unable to support these requests.

It all changed three years later: The Gymnastics and Sports Club voted unanimously to set up a football squad and this was founded on 31 May 1907 at the Wiesdorfer Hof restaurant. 23 players and four supporters – today they would be called non-playing members – were part of the 176 strong membership of the gymnastics club. But there was a need for compromises between gymnasts and footballers. The football crazy new members therefore agreed to train once a week with medicine balls.

Their attachment to the company saw them ask for permission to wear the the logo of the paint factories on their kit. At Christmas 1907 the football squad were bestowed with a coat of arms bearing the “Bayer lion with a globe and Mercury’s staff”. The first fixture was played in August 1907 against Manfort Ball Games Club.

The football team now played under the name 04 Leverkusen Football Club and had approximately 150 playing members who were all employed at the works.

Over the next five years the club was expanded to cater for athletics and handball. Boxing was included from the start. These sections covering the different sports of football, athletics, handball and boxing were finally brought together when the “Sportvereinigung Bayer 04 Leverkusen” sports club was founded.

There was a significant animosity between gymnasts and other types of athletes (as was common in Germany during the time). Eventually this contributed to a split within the club: on 8 June 1928 the footballers formed a separate association – Sportvereinigung Bayer 04 Leverkusen – that also included the handball and fistball players, athletics, and boxing, while the gymnasts carried on as TuS Bayer 04 Leverkusen. SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen took with them the club's traditional colours of red and black, with the gymnasts adopting blue and yellow.

Through this period, and into the 1930s, SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen played third and fourth division football. In 1936, they earned promotion to the second highest class of play of the period. That was also the year that the club wore the familiar "Bayer" cross for the first time. They made their first appearance in upper league play in 1951, in the Oberliga West and played there until 1956, after which they were relegated. SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen would not return to the upper leagues until 1962, just one season before the formation of Germany's new professional league, the Bundesliga. The next year saw the club in the Regionalliga West, tier II, where their performances over the next few seasons left them well down the league table.

MAKING THE BIG TIME:

SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen made something of a breakthrough in 1968, by winning the division title, but were unable to advance through the playoff round to the first division. They were relegated again in 1973, but made a quick return to what was now called the 2. Bundesliga after just one season spent in the third division. Four years later, the team handily secured a place in the Bundesliga to start to play there in the 1979–80 season.

By the mid-1980s, SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen had played their way into the upper half of the league table and were well-established there by the end of the decade. It was during this time, in 1984, that the two-halves of the club that had parted ways over a century later were re-united as TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V. The new club took red and white as their colours.

In addition to becoming an established Bundesliga side, the club earned its first honours with a dramatic win in the 1988 UEFA Cup. Down (0:3) to Espanyol after the first leg of the final, they drew even in the return match and then captured the title (3:2) on penalty kicks.

That same year, long-time Bayer Leverkusen executive Reiner Calmund became the general manager of the club. This is regarded as one of the most important moves in the club's history, as Calmund ushered in a decade and a half of the club's greatest success through shrewd, far-sighted player acquisitions.

After the German reunification in 1990, Reiner Calmund was quick to sign East German stars Ulf Kirsten, Andreas Thom, and Jens Melzig. The three players would become instant crowd favourites, and make significant contributions to the team. Calmund also established groundbreaking contacts in Brazilian football, befriending Juan Figer, one of Brazil's most powerful player agents. Over the next few years, budding superstars, such as Jorginho and Paulo Sérgio, joined the team, as did Czech star Pavel Hapal. They also signed charismatic players, such as Bernd Schuster, and Rudi Völler, helping to ensure the team's popularity and growing success.

THE YEAR OF NEVERKUSEN:

It was one of the most incredible and most tragic singles seasons in German football history. 2001/02 forever branded Leverkusen as the eternal runners up, or “Neverkusen.” It was a season in which the club reached glorious peaks and a season that culminated in defeat when it mattered most. 2002 was the year Bayer Leverkusen finished second … everywhere.

More remarkable than anything else that season was the Pillmakers’ incredible run to the Champions League final. Ahead of their clash with Manchester United in this season’s group stages, we take a look at one of the memorable, if not the most memorable, run to the final by a German club.

In the fall of 2001, the Champions League final was probably the last thing on the team’s mind, let alone a realistic target. They had to get by Red Star Belgrade in the initial playoffs to even qualify for the group stages. Everyone at the club emphasized the game and said it was arguably the most important in club history. But in coach Klaus Topmuller, Leverkusen got a breath of fresh air after a turbulent season, a new energy and a new collective motivation to do well. Slowly, but surely, it all started coming together.

Topmuller placed a great emphasis on physical conditioning so the team was capable of playing the fast-paced attacking football he desired. His biggest trick of all perhaps was getting the best out of one of Germany’s most talented footballers at the time, Bernd Schneider. Before the season, Topmuller told Schneider he would turn him into one of the best players around and get him to the World Cup the following summer. The trust paid off as Schneider raised his game instantly and improved as the season progressed.

In the group stage, Leverkusen faced Olympique Lyon, Fenerbahce and Barcelona. The Spaniards were the clear favorites and won the group, but Leverkusen’s strong start – which included wins in France, against Barcelona and Fenerbahce – gave them enough to finish runners up. The second phase was a much tougher proposition and few gave Leverkusen a chance against a Juventus side expected to go all the way, or against the up and coming Deportivo La Coruna, and the always dangerous Arsenal. Indeed, Leverkusen were trounced 4-0 in Italy in the first game, but clawed their way back and won the return leg against Juventus and won in Spain against Deportivo.

The quarterfinals were new territory for the club and most expected reigning UEFA Cup champions Liverpool to progress. Leverkusen took a 1-0 loss back to Germany for the second leg, which really kickstarted their magical run. It was also Michael Ballack’s coming out as one of the best big game players around. He scored twice for the Germans and, with five minutes remaining and Leverkusen needing a goal another, the soon to be legend sent Leverkusen fans into euphoria, Lucio’s bombarding run forward and finish. The semifinals awaited and Leverkusen supporters could hardly believe it.

If the quarterfinals were nerve-wracking, then the semifinals were the stuff legends are made of. It began when Ferguson confused Leverkusen with Kaiserslautern in the press conference leading up to the game but there was no confusion from Leverkusen. They were set on reaching the final and upsetting United. Ballack scored again at Old Trafford and Neuville got an important second to give them a huge advantage going back to Germany. There Neuville, who became a cult hero as a result of this season, canceled out Ryan Giggs’ goal to send Leverkusen to the final.

The Manchestser games made Michael Ballack a world class player. Lucio turned into one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe and Ze Roberto and Bernd Schneider were two of the most gifted players in Europe. Amid all the euphoria and disbelief though was the reality that Leverkusen had stretched themselves to their limits. 59 competitive games in all competitions and several international trips for most of the players fatigued them by season’s end and that was a big reason for their collapse at the final hurdle.

Despite the loss in the final, it was a dream season for the club and one that elevated it into the mythos of German football. It turned several individual players into world class footballers and made the careers of many. It was one of the most memorable and surprising Champions league runs in tournament history and from a team that did not hesitate to take risks, put everything on the line and go all out to chase their dream. Leverkusen in 2002 will forever go down as one of the great Europeancampaigns for those very reasons.

However the entire season would be one of heartbreak as the club surrendered a five-point lead atop the league table by losing two of its last three matches while Borussia Dortmund swept ahead with three consecutive victories in its final matches. Bayer Leverkusen were also beaten 4–2 in the German Cup final by Schalke 04.

RECENT YEARS:

Leverkusen never really hit the heights (or relative tragic lows if you will) of the Neverkusen year. Losing their best players to Bayern Munich they would usually qualify comfortably for Europe. Their best performance during these years was a 2nd place finish in the 2010-11 season. Last year, the club finished 3rd ensuring qualification to the Champions League group stages under Liverpool legend Sami Hyppia.

*credit to the Bayer Leverkusen website, Wikipedia and the excellent Bundesliga fanatic.

[rafaelbenitez]

CLUB HONOURS:

As you can see it's a very bare trophy cabinet for a club that's been around top flight football for so long. Will you be the first manager to bring the Bundesliga to Leverkusen where the likes of treble winning Jupp Heynckes have failed? Will you relieve the heady heights of the famous UEFA Cup win where the likes of Bum-Kun Cha and Wolfgang Rolff achieved the near impossible? There's a great story waiting to be written at this club

SEASON EXPECTATIONS::

As you can see the season expectations are quite reasonable for a club like Leverkusen. While it is unlikely you will overcome the might of Bayern and Dortmund in your first season, finishing in the Champions League spots should be a realistic target. There is no significant budget increase to be earned though so I would stick with qualifying for the Europa League. This would require you to finish a minimum of 7th (depending on the winner of the DFB Pokal) although with the squad at your disposal you should be aiming to finish in the top 4.

STADIUM::

As the new stadium design was planned in the 80s, it was based on the design of the then Ruhrstadium in Bochum. A steep single-tier football stadium without a running track with seating for 35,000 spectators. The stadium was intended to be constructed section by section over time in order to save costs and grow with the demands of the club, starting with the east stand in 1986, the west in 1989 and the north in 1991. In the middle of the rebuild, the demands of modern football stadiums changed. Suites and VIP Areas became necessary, a family friendly section as well as design modification to all-seater following the Bundesliga riots of the 1990s and the demands for international matches.

As a lesson from the World Cup 1994 in the USA the north section was redesignated as a so-called "Family Street", the first section of a German stadium aimed at attracting a younger audience. This concept proved to be a rousing success and demanded the moving of the Family Street to the larger east section for the 96-97 season. In the process the BayArena was the first stadium in Germany to turn into an all-seater and to remove part of the fences which had separated the tiers from the pitch, starting again in the east and later expanded to the whole stadium. Due to the demands for larger VIP areas, the original plans for closing the gap in the south with a stand the same layout as the north were dropped in 1995. Instead the south section was built as box suites, making the stadium unique in the Bundesliga with its South American style horseshoe design. With the work finished in 1997 the BayArena was judged as the most comfortable and modern stadium in Germany.

As of the present day, the BayArena has a capacity of a little over 30,000 spectators.

FANS::

In contrast to many other German football clubs, which hold close ties to their working class roots, Bayer Leverkusen strives for a clean, family-friendly image. The BayArena has the reputation of being one of the most family-friendly football stadiums in Germany. Ironically, Bayer 04 was the first Bundesliga club whose fans identified themselves as Ultras and the city of Leverkusen is one of the old industrial cities of Germany.

Bayer Leverkusen is perceived by some to have an ongoing image problem of a different sort. Although they are a financially healthy club with a stable of strong players, many fans of the traditional clubs denounce Bayer Leverkusen as being a "plastic club", without traditions or a committed fan base, existing solely as a creation of their rich pharmaceutical company sponsor – Bayer AG. As a result, the club and their fans have started to emphazise their industrial origins with proudness, calling themselves "Werkself" (Eng. "Factory team", "Millhanders") or "Pillendreher" (Eng. "Tablet twisters").

The club is well supported and the atmosphere at the BayArena is one of the best in Germany.

Bayer Leverkusen's fiercest rivals are situated 22 kilometers away in the city of Cologne. Although they are in the second division as at present, FC Köln or the Billy Goats have been more successful in terms of trophies, boasting 3 German titles and 4 German Cups compared to Leverkusen's paltry haul of one DFB Pokal. Write yourself into Leverkusen folklore by overtaking your rivals' haul of trophies and it would appear that there is no better time than the present to achieve that.

[rafaelbenitez]

SQUAD ANALYSIS:

GOALKEEPERS:

Bernd Leno: The German under 21 international is only 21 years old but is already regarded as one of the best 'keepers in a generation that has produced a number of excellent goalkeepers. This is the boy who pushed Rene Adler, an exceptional goalkeeper himself, to Hamburg. He also has the distinction of being the youngest German goalkeeper to play a Champions League match. Set to guard your posts for the next 15 years you should have absolutely no worries of acquiring another top class keeper provided he stays fit.

Andrés Palop: Palop is one who's had a very successful career over the past 8 years with Sevilla. He moved to Leverkusen on a one year deal in the summer looking for a fresh challenge after his first team opportunities became limited at Sevilla. He won't dislodge Leno but will provide excellent experience and cover for the upcoming season. However, he's 39 and on £32,000 p/w which is a lot of money for a bench player at Leverkusen. He should be let go in the summer and a new number 2 should be bought in to provide back up to Leno.

FULL BACKS:

Giulio Donati: During the summer the club lost Dani Carvajal, who had a stellar debut season in Germany, to Real Madrid who were so impressed that they exercised their buy back clause to take him back to Spain. In stepped Giulio Donati. Signed from Inter for now what appears to be a bargain price of around 3 million euros, Donati has slotted in seamlessly to life in Germany. Having been on loan at Grossetto in Serie B last season, he would suffer a relegation before going on to impress with the Azzurrini as they lost to Spain in the final of the European Under-21 Championships. In Football Manager, Donati does not have spectacular stats but should be a useful first option for the first season. While he doesn't possess excellent technical attributes, his pace and stamina mean that he will be bombing up and down that right flank for you.

Gonzalo Castro: A product of the club's youth system, Castro made his first team debut at the age of 17 in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League. Now at the age of 26, Castro is still going strong in the Leverkusen first team having made in excess of 300 appearances for the club. He has also represented Germany on 5 occasions. From the below picture you can see he is Mr. Versatile and can fill pretty much every area of the pitch you could want him to. He loves the club and should be considered a key player.

Sebastian Boenisch: A solid option to cover either full back position and provides good pace and outlets up and down the flanks. Nothing special though and should play only in the absence of either Donati or Castro.

Konstantinos Stafylidis: Kostas is an excellent young Greek left back who joined from PAOK in the summer of 2012. Big things are expected of him at the club and given game time he can develop into an excellent left back for club and country. He is still only 19 and should be given games in the DFB Pokal and rotational minutes in the Bundesliga to aid his development.

Roberto Hilbert: Hilbert returned to Germany in the summer after a spell with Besiktas in Istanbul. While a decent option to have he's never going to establish himself and first choice and you should look to move him on in January or at the end of the season.

CENTER BACKS:

Philipp Wollscheid: Philipp is an excellent young German international who was signed from Nuremberg last season and has gone on to be a fan favourite. With excellent strength, jumping and defensive attributes, Wollscheid will be the corner stone of your defence for years to come.

Ömer Toprak: Ömer is a 23 year old German born Turkish international and Wollscheid's partner in crime at the center of your defence. While Wollscheid is physically strong and dominant in the air, Toprak is excellent with his feet and possesses good pace making him a perfect partner for Wollscheid at the heart of your defence.

Emir Spahić: A 32 year old Bosnian international with over 70 caps for his country, Emir Spahić joined Leverkusen in the summer from Sevilla. He was a part of the Montpellier side that shocked the world by winning the French Championnat two season ago. He provides quality cover for your two first choice options and can be useful to tutor any youngsters with his excellent mental stats. He joined on a two year deal and should be allowed to see it out.

Stefan Reinartz: A 24 year old German international, Reinartz is another to come through the youth ranks at Leverkusen. Similar in size and playing style to Wollscheid, he is another excellent young German player at your disposal. His added bonus is that he can play in defensive midfield as well.

MIDFIELDERS:

Emre Can: When Bayer Leverkusen signed Emre Can in the summer it was considered a bit of a coup considering his status as one of the best young talents in Germany. Despite being held in high regard at previous club Bayern Munich, the Bavarians reluctantly agreed to Can's request for more playing time which would be limited thanks to he arrival of Thiago and Mario Goetze in the Bayern midfield. Able to cover any of the defensive or midfield positions, Can is at his best in defensive midfield and can become one of your best players given regular playing time. Beware though, Bayern do have a buy back clause of £6.25 million which will look a bargain if he develops to his potential.

Jens Hegeler: Jens Hegeler is a very useful utility player who possesses excellent pace and cover any of the midfield positions. While not being excellent in any particular area, he is another to come through the ranks and will be worth keeping for his versatility alone considering you have to juggle between three competitions throughout the course of the season.

Simon Rolfes: Rolfes is the longest serving player currently at the club and he is also club captain. The 31 year old exhibits fantastic technical, mental and physical attributes that should see him remain an important part of your team for the next two seasons at the very least. He will achieve 10 years of service at the end of his contract and should help you achieve your objectives along the way.

Lars Bender: Lars Bender is arguably the best player at the club. A superb defensive midfielder with terrific defensive, mental and physical attributes, he will be the lynch-pin of your midfield for the better part of a decade. If you don't achieve success on the pitch however, keeping him away from some of Europe's finest might prove too difficult a task. Make sure you keep him happy and he will prove an indispensable part of the squad.

ATTACKERS:

Son Heung-Min: Over the last couple of years at Hamburg, Son came to be regarded as one of the Bundesliga's brightest talents. He scored 12 goals last season which made him only the 4th Asian footballer ever to score more 10 goals or more in one of Europe's big leagues. As a result of losing André Schürrle to Chelsea in the summer, Leverkusen splashed out a club record fee of £8.5 million to sign the South Korean superstar. In real life, Son has settled in seamlessly and is proving to be worth every penny. In FM, he has excellent potential and you can turn him into one of the best attackers in the game. A definite game changer, he is another player you should not be looking to sell any time soon.

Sidney Sam: Sidney Sam is a German international of Nigerian descent. Like Son, he can cover all the attacking positions and they work well in tandem as they do in real life which has resulted in the press giving the dynamic duo the label of 'SamSon'. He possesses good pace, finishing, dribbling and long shots which make him perfect for an inside forward role cutting in on his left foot.

Stefan Kießling: Kießling is the last piece of Leverkusen's attacking triumvirate and your main goal scorer. He's at the peak of his career and beat Robert Lewandowski to the Torjäger by scoring 25 goals last campaign. For some reason he is constantly overlooked by Germany boss Joachim Loew, however he should be first choice for you and his goals will be vital to any success you will enjoy.

Robbie Kruse: Robbie is an Australian international who joined the club after impressing for recently relegated Fortuna Dusseldorf in the Bundesliga last season. A diminutive attacking player who can cover all your attacking positions he provides much needed cover in an area where your squad is stretched thin for numbers. The assistant manager rates him at 3.5 stars potential so it might be worth keeping him around. He's still only 24 and can get better.

Eren Derdiyok: Eren Derdiyok rejoined Bayer Leverkusen on loan after enduring a disastrous year at Hoffenheim. While it might not be worth buying him permanently he does provide important cover for Kießling for the first season. The return of Arkadiusz Milik from his loan spell at Augsburg should mean you won't require Derdiyok's services any longer.

Youth Prospects/Useful Players out on Loan:

1. Oliver Schnitzler - 17 year old German GK - 3 star potential.

2. Robin Tim Becker - 16 year old German DR - 3 star potential.

3. Danny da Costa - 19 year old German DR/DC/WBR - 3.5 star potential. On loan at Ingolstadt.

4. Dominik Kohr - 19 year old German DR/WBR/DM/MC - 3.5 star potential.

5. Levin Öztunali - 17 year old German DR/WBR/DM/MC - 4 star potential.

6. Christoph Kramer - 22 year old German DM/MC - 3.5 star potential. On loan at Gladbach.

7. Karim Bellarabi - 23 year old German AMRL - 3 star potential. On loan at Braunschweig.

8. Junior Fernandes - 24 year old Chilean AMRL/ST - 3 star potential. On loan at Dinamo Zagreb.

9. Arkadiusz Milik - 19 year old Polish ST - 4 star potential. On loan at Augsburg.

[rafaelbenitez]

I've modeled my tactic on the way Leverkusen play in real life apart from certain personnel in different positions (IRL Castro plays more in midifeld). This tactic involves making the best use of your attacking triumvirate and having 'SamSon' cut onto their favoured feet as inside forwards using Stefan Kießling as the pivot up top. The club doesn't have any recognized AMC so setting up the 3 in midfield as above will allow you to get your best midfielders together. I've had reasonable success with the tactic so far. I'm currently 3rd after 8 games.

I hope you enjoyed the thread! Looking forward to seeing more people post in here. It's a great save at a club with low expectations but with some great players and a trophy cabinet that is begging to be filled. Hope you lot have as much fun as I am having on this save.

[SRL88]

Nice OP.

[MichaelBrown]

Nice start, one of the few where I read the history fully!

[rafaelbenitez]

Nice OP.

Nice start, one of the few where I read the history fully!

Thanks for the kind words. I'll upload details of my save some time over the weekend.

[Rekobeto]

Considering starting with Leverkusen when the full game is released.

The task of beating Bayern and Dortmund is very tempting!

[tyro]

I was looking for a second save and considering Germany as I'm waiting for the final release to fix the Italian staff hiring bug. I haven't really had a save with Leverkusen before and they seem to be an interesting team to challenge for the title.

[styluz_05]

Looking at doing a Leverkusen save and also a Sporting Lisbon they havent won the title since 2001.

[Rekobeto]

I'm waiting for the full game release, to fix the German national squad.

[jlm8695]

Kruse seems underrated, but that's probably my Melbourne Victory and Australian bias

[jaybert]

Did Son and Sam get improved in new version? Any1 can post screens of their stats pls?

[tyro]

I have started a save with Leverkusen and am just through the pre-season and already enjoying it. I went with the same 4-5-1 (4-3-3) set up but Bender got injured in pre-season and is out for 3 months, so I have been using Reinartz as my DM. I also played around with Rolfes in the DM position (his natural position) and using him as a Regista there which worked quite well but I prefer having the DM a defensive power house with the more "creative" players in the MC position.

I bought a young Brazilian left back (Mansur) to cover for Boenisch and he should soon force his way into the First 11. I also bought Alan from Red Bull Salzburg as a striker addition to cover for Kiessling and Derdiyok. He has great potential although I should have read this thread more carefully and noticed that there is a good striker coming back at the end of the season.

Pre-Season has gone really well so far, winning all games, and getting match fitness up. With the exception of Bender being injured we are ready to take on the Bundesliga. I feel like the team is really strong and have been impressed with Gonzalo Castro already who can cover almost any position. Kiessling's presence is immense and SamSon cannot stop scoring. I hope this transfers over to the main season.

Here is my set up:

------------------------------DFs (Kiessling)-----------------------

IFa (Son)------------------------------------------------IFa (Sam)

----------------DLPs (Rolfes)--------------APa (Castro)------------

-----------------------------DMd (Bender)-------------------------

CWBa(Boenisch)---CDd(Spahic)--------CDd(Wollscheid)---FBs(Donati)

-------------------------------GKd (Leno)-------------------------

Team Breakdown (First 11/Backup/3rd Choice):

ST: Kiessling/Derdiyok/Alan

AML: Son/Kruse

AMR: Sam/Kruse/Castro

MCL: Rolfes/Hegele/Can

MCR: Castro/Hegele

DM: Bender/Reinartz/Can

FBL: Boenisch/Mansur/Konstantinos

CDL: Spahir/Toprak

CDR: Wollscheid/Toprak

FBR: Donati/Hilbert

GK: Leno/Palop

[rafaelbenitez]

Considering starting with Leverkusen when the full game is released.

The task of beating Bayern and Dortmund is very tempting!

Indeed. The Bundesliga has great prize money so organic growth should be possible as long as you're doing well.

I was looking for a second save and considering Germany as I'm waiting for the final release to fix the Italian staff hiring bug. I haven't really had a save with Leverkusen before and they seem to be an interesting team to challenge for the title.

Yeah, I had a Napoli save going when the bug hit. Bummer.

Looking at doing a Leverkusen save and also a Sporting Lisbon they havent won the title since 2001.

Sporting will be a tough ask considering their financial difficulties. Leverkusen are pretty sound on that front.

I'm waiting for the full game release, to fix the German national squad.

Fair enough, keep us updated

Kruse seems underrated, but that's probably my Melbourne Victory and Australian bias

I do think he is a tad underrated but you should check out Kiessling's attributes as well. Regardless, they're both reasonably effective in game which is all that matters I guess.

Did Son and Sam get improved in new version? Any1 can post screens of their stats pls?

I have started a save with Leverkusen and am just through the pre-season and already enjoying it. I went with the same 4-5-1 (4-3-3) set up but Bender got injured in pre-season and is out for 3 months, so I have been using Reinartz as my DM. I also played around with Rolfes in the DM position (his natural position) and using him as a Regista there which worked quite well but I prefer having the DM a defensive power house with the more "creative" players in the MC position.

I bought a young Brazilian left back (Mansur) to cover for Boenisch and he should soon force his way into the First 11. I also bought Alan from Red Bull Salzburg as a striker addition to cover for Kiessling and Derdiyok. He has great potential although I should have read this thread more carefully and noticed that there is a good striker coming back at the end of the season.

Pre-Season has gone really well so far, winning all games, and getting match fitness up. With the exception of Bender being injured we are ready to take on the Bundesliga. I feel like the team is really strong and have been impressed with Gonzalo Castro already who can cover almost any position. Kiessling's presence is immense and SamSon cannot stop scoring. I hope this transfers over to the main season.

Here is my set up:

------------------------------DFs (Kiessling)-----------------------

IFa (Son)------------------------------------------------IFa (Sam)

----------------DLPs (Rolfes)--------------APa (Castro)------------

-----------------------------DMd (Bender)-------------------------

CWBa(Boenisch)---CDd(Spahic)--------CDd(Wollscheid)---FBs(Donati)

-------------------------------GKd (Leno)-------------------------

Team Breakdown (First 11/Backup/3rd Choice):

ST: Kiessling/Derdiyok/Alan

AML: Son/Kruse

AMR: Sam/Kruse/Castro

MCL: Rolfes/Hegele/Can

MCR: Castro/Hegele

DM: Bender/Reinartz/Can

FBL: Boenisch/Mansur/Konstantinos

CDL: Spahir/Toprak

CDR: Wollscheid/Toprak

FBR: Donati/Hilbert

GK: Leno/Palop

Good stuff, mate. I like the look of Alan and I think you could possibly retrain him to provide cover for Son at AML. He has reasonably good stats to perform as an Inside Forward.

[jaybert]

thanks for screens. Shame they did not improve their stats at all

[Koppari]

Is Julian Brandt a good cover for Son? Seems to have great potential.

[tyro]

He seems to have great potential. Someone started a dedicated thread for him.

[london boy]

Good thread - Slight mistake in the fans section in that "Pillendreher" means pill pusher (i.e. a pharmacist because of the Bayer background) It also means a dung beetle

Leverkusen are a great team to manage. They have a very solid foundation for FM14 and should be a title challenger. They are only one point off the top of the table IRL behind Bayern & Dortmund. Sidney Sam is on fire IRL! Can't stop scoring!

The only position I would really want to strengthen is left back and possibly another winger as backup.

There are a few decent prospects too in Oztunali, Kohr, da Costa and Milik

[jayahr]

thanks for screens. Shame they did not improve their stats at all

I'm sure that at least Sam's stats will be updated for the winter update.

tbh I would not have expected such rl performances from him either.

[kazm]

Hm Rolfes doesn't have the flair to play AP, better of DLP-s imo.

I just took the Leverkusen job but I'm underwhelmed by the attackers/ wingers. Then again i barely know them.

[tyro]

I went until end of September on my save. Currently sitting at 11th with 6 points.

Bundesliga

vs. Hannover 5-2 (W) SamSon showing their talents. Easy game.

vs. Bremen 2-3 (L) Huge battle. They had few chances but made them count. They got their win in the last minutes.

vs. Dortmund 1-3 (L) We were outclassed. I played my normal game and should have respected them more and be defensive.

vs. Mainz 3-3 (D) What a game. We went 2-0 down and then I tweaked a bit and came back to 2-2. Then went ahead 3-2 only for them to get the equalizer late on. They played 4-2-3-1 Deep which gave huge problems to my guys cutting in. Too many bodies in there.

vs. Stuttgart 1-1 (D) A very, very good score for Stuttgart. They were outplayed the entire time but my guys just couldn't finish.

vs. Hamburg 0-0 (D) More of the same. Rolfes missed a penalty and none of our good chances went in. It must be a mix of their GK having great games and our morale being a bit low (Ok to Poor).

DFB Pokal

vs. Vitoria 3-0 (W) Business as usual.

Champions League (Man.United, Shakthar, Celtic)

vs. ManU 0-4 (L) I fully expected to lose. Didn't care much for the game as it was at Old Trafford. Maybe I should have played defensive and tried for the draw. The loss was expected but the game came at a really bad time with my team's morale struggling and then getting hammered again.

Next up DFB Pokal against 1860 Muenchen.

I am hoping the release version of the game updated the ME a bit. I feel that converting chances at the moment is really tough. Maybe it's my players' morale. Also, the players play brilliantly one minute and the next completely terrible.

[Koppari]

Losing to teams like Augsburg with 3x their shots on target even when playing with a deep line, Son and Sam are very frustrating and the full backs average something like 5,9 every game. Anyone else having problems?

[tyro]

I had until the release version. Won 3-0 vs 1860, 3-0 vs Augsburg and 3-1 against Shakhtar. Finally 2-1 hard earned against Frankurt who are second. Finally up to 5th after this. Morale makes a big impact and you need to exploit your opponents weaknesses.

[enders357]

Great OP! I played as Juventues on the BETA but intend to start a German game now the final version is out. I'm keen to take on a team that could, with careful management, grow to challenge Dortmund and Bayern. I'd been considering Schalke, and then settled on Stuttgart, but this thread has convinced me Leverkusen are the ones.

Any recommended signings? I'd like to bring Eder Alvarez Balanta over - do you think he'd join? Other than that keen on German youngsters, so Werner and Goretzka maybe?

[vdr12]

Finished a season with this team. Finished 4th which was what I had promised the chairman but disappointed that I was some twenty points off Dortmund who won. Didn't make it past the Champions League Group stages either, but I had a tough group with Man United, Atletico and Napoli.

Mostly stuck with a deep 4-2-3-1 with the occassional 4-5-1 away from home. Only transfers in were Gaitan (okay signing) and Kiyotake (good signing, played him as Enganche).

Star - Kießling scored 26 goals despite being injured for over 2 months

Flop - Ömer Toprak, made multiple costly errors. Now sold.

Been given a 32 mil transfer budget so reshaping my squad for the next season. Donati and Sam (both too inconsistent for me) out for sure. Trying to get Yarmolenko, Holtby (transfer listed), Jung (transfer listed because Frankfurt were relegated) and Balanta. Still need a striker to back up Kießling. Any suggestions?

[tyro]

I had gotten Alan from Red Bull Salzburg in my save. Not expensive and good backup (3 Star for the future - not superb but good).

Kevin Volland from Hoffenheim is a very good potential if you want to stick with targets within Germany.

[Maazen]

ANy one have a good tactic i can use with Leverkusen? I am realy strugling to score.

[Hoarau]

I actually had the pleasure to be in attendance for the UEFA Champions League final at Hampden in 2002, luckily for me my ticket me slap bang in the middle of the Bayer Leverkusen fans. They were an absolute joy and really friendly, I actually swapped jerseys with a fan and still have the shirt.

Really considering giving Leverkusen a long term go, partly due to the above but also because of how I see German football on the rise again.. Of and I cant take the "snottyness" of Bayern or Dortmund...

[tyro]

ANy one have a good tactic i can use with Leverkusen? I am realy strugling to score.

The basic tactic shown in the opening posts works well - Leverkusen is made for a 4-5-1 (or 4-3-3 or 4-1-2-2-1, however you want to call it). Kiessling is amazing as defensive forward and Son and Sam cutting in as IF provide you with goals.

[DirtyJoe]

Hi Tyro,

I have just started a game with Leverkusen. I am looking to go with an all German flavour by signing only German Nationals, which means that any player currently on my list who is not a German National will be sold once I can.

Signings Thus far -

Werner $2.5M up front $5M over 48 mths Euro

Rodes $2.5M up front $2.5m over 48 mths Euro

Nils Quaschner - $675K Euro

[tyro]

I also started one, after messing around with FMC and then putting my Fiorentina save on hold.

Started without first window budget though. However, I was able to sign Benayon on a free with relatively low wages (I had EUR 4mn wage budget left). Through the pre-season and finished my first round DFB-Pokal game.

I really like the squad.

You have some great signings there. Werner is great.

[tyro]

So what do you do when Kiessling is injured for a long time (for me 4 weeks now)?

Do you play a) Derdiyok or b) Son up front (assuming you started without first transfer budget, or didn't buy a striker)?

If you play Derdiyok, how does he fit in the 4-5-1 formation? I tried him as a TM(s), which works, but, at the same time, since he is a TM, he keeps getting long balls on his head which he usually doesn't get or loses them after he does get them. I also tried him as a CF(s), which seems better, as he is not the "target" man up front anymore and the inside forwards get involved more. Since he is a lone striker, his "best" role as an Advanced Forward wouldn't work well. He can't be a Defensive Forward like Kiessling, and he doesn't have the creativity and technical skills for an F9, Treq, DLF(s).

Or do you play Son up front and then how? His stats are best employed as a poacher which is useless in this formation. He could play as a Treq., perhaps.

What are your thoughts?

[london boy]

How do you get the best out of Son? I signed him in my Stuttgart save and play him as an IF, but he's been really disappointing.

[tyro]

I play him as an IF(A). He is doing ok so far. Could be better.

[WillyBroadband]

Hello all, first post in here of 2014. Happy New Year everybody!

So, I have started a Leverkusen save and am really enjoying it so far but I can't seem to stop leaking goals.. I'm not doing badly at all - I'm 5th in the league after only 4 games. I was wondering if anyone could help me and have a quick look at my screenies below.

These are my tactics. As you can see I have gone with the recommended formation.

These are my results - not too bad with only 1 defeat (to a crazy defensive lapse last minute too) but also onlu 1 clean sheet against a minnow in the Cup.

And if anyone is interested, these are the transfers I made. 3 players going to Hoffenheim alone!

Thanks for reading & any help or advice much appreciated.

[WillyBroadband]

I've modeled my tactic on the way Leverkusen play in real life apart from certain personnel in different positions (IRL Castro plays more in midifeld). This tactic involves making the best use of your attacking triumvirate and having 'SamSon' cut onto their favoured feet as inside forwards using Stefan Kießling as the pivot up top. The club doesn't have any recognized AMC so setting up the 3 in midfield as above will allow you to get your best midfielders together. I've had reasonable success with the tactic so far. I'm currently 3rd after 8 games.

I hope you enjoyed the thread! Looking forward to seeing more people post in here. It's a great save at a club with low expectations but with some great players and a trophy cabinet that is begging to be filled. Hope you lot have as much fun as I am having on this save.

Hello rafaelbenitez, I'm really struggling to get any goals out of

Kießling - I was wondering if you could give me any advice or tips on how to change that? I'm also leaking goals as you can see in my screenies from my last post.

Thanks a lot for your help or any advice.