BERLIN (Reuters) -Bayer Leverkusen are still in the construction stage of building a competitive team and more time is needed to complete the project, said coach Kasper Hjulmand ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga match at St Pauli.
Leverkusen, domestic double winners in 2024 under then coach Xabi Alonso, have struggled this season without the Spaniard and a string of key players who left he club, including Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah, Granit Xhaka and Jeremie Frimpong.
They are 11th in the league on five points, seven behind leaders Bayern Munich after four games, and two behind fifth-placed St Pauli.
Following the sacking of Erik ten Hag after only two Bundesliga matches, they appointed former Denmark coach Hjulmand on September 8, and he has since recorded a win and a draw in his two league games in charge.
"It is a process. We need time and we need matches and they are coming," Hjulmand told a press conference on Friday.
"We are very optimistic and Ithink we have a great team. We can build an outstanding team but we are still building it up. Alot of new players, new coaches, that's how it is. But in every game we have to get results."
Leverkusen, who play PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday, have extended their record-breaking unbeaten run away in the Bundesliga to 35 consecutive matches or more than two seasons, but they are still integrating a slew of new players, under their second coach of the season.
"We are in a good process," Hjulmand said. "Every single day we train, we play games... it gets better and better. A lot of new players, a lot of new positions for some players. They have to get to know each other."
"I think we have a lot of good minutes in the games but we can do better," he said.
(Reporting by Karolos GrohmannEditing by Toby Davis)
