The gang are back to take down three matches in 30 minutes by looking back at the games against K*ln, Bayern, and Frankfurt and assessing the pretty favorable results under Hannes Wolf. The new trainer has had the freedom to mix and match his team and the results have been….weirdly promising? It’s certainly the case that Leon Bailey’s stock has risen over the last couple of weeks, at the same time that Moussa Diaby’s star seems to have fallen a bit – still…those two teamed up for some wonderful goals during this time. It’s been a typically bizarre week at Bayer Leverkusen, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Prost!

Eric, Jase and Frankie convene to discuss a lethargic and largely dull match against Hoffenheim and wonder what needs to happen in order to bring some of the joy back to Bayer Leverkusen football. The team is in the doldrums and the Neverkusen Crew is finding it difficult to find any joy in the current state of the team. Hannes Wolf doesn’t seem like the solution, and it may be time to blow this whole team up – including one of our favorite and most consistent players of the last five years. This episode is short and bitter, because so are we.

It wasn’t anything to write home about but somehow Bayer Leverkusen managed to pull off a victory at home against Schalke to stay in the running for a European spot. Just as importantly, Tom joined Eric, Jason, and Frankie for his first appearance in over a year and slotted in like the experienced left-winger we all know him to be. The crew discusses the Schalke match in part I (long story short – ugly match, still lots to work on) and talks about the new trainer team and management in part II (also not great). But we finish on a positive note – grab a beer, piece of cake, or whatever floats your boat and have a listen!

Holy shit, this team is in shambles – and you can hear the disbelief and, dare we say, pain in Frankie’s, Jason’s, and Eric’s voices. Only one week after a truly uninspiring loss to a relegation-threatened Armenia Bielefeld, a new low was reached against another bottom side, Hertha, in what can only be called…well, just another day at the office, really. The Bayer Leverkusen of the first half of the season is long gone, if it ever even existed to begin with (our current place in the table suggests it did), and anyone thinking that Europe next season is still a legitimate dream, well, we’d like to have a taste of whatever it is you’re drinking or smoking. And, frankly, we’re just glad next week is an international break…

Can you smell that scent in the air? Are you getting a good whiff of that aroma? That, gentle listeners, is the smell of VICTORY….and strong beer, prosecco, and baked goods! Julia, Frankie, Eric and Jason can’t believe their good fortune as Bayer manage 3 points for the first time in what seems like ages (it’s been like a month), and so the celebrations require copious amounts of cake and booze. You’ll excuse us if we all still seem a little hopped up on sugar and alcohol! Hope Bayer has brightened your start to the week, too!

Well…at least we aren’t Schalke. And it can’t be all bad when the current situation at Bayer enables us to speak with old friend Edgar about Volland, Voeller, and viel zu viel losing. Edgar, Frankie, Eric, and Jason take their heads out of their hands (!) long enough to moan about the state of the team, from the top to the bottom (which is the direction Bayer have been moving the last two months. Have a listen – and keep repeating the first sentence of this paragraph to yourself like a mantra.

What a rollercoaster of a week for Bayer Leverkusen, and you can certainly hear the confusion and disbelief (unfassbar!) in Eric’s, Jase’s and Frankie’s voices. It gets so bad, at one point Jase combines Demirbay and Bellarabi into an entirely new player! And we still criticize him! This one comes in just under a snappy 45 minutes, so you won’t have to subject yourself for too long to the pain that is being a Bayer fan. We wouldn’t have it any other way!

“Fackin’ pish” might be the way to describe Saturday’s match, but this episode of the Neverkusen Podcast is anything but! In the first part, Frankie and Eric have the great pleasure of talking to football journalist and unabashed 1. FSV Mainz 05 fan, Mara Pfeiffer, who kind of saves the weekend for us with her great chat. In a short second part, Frankie and Eric kid themselves about the Europa League. This episode is best enjoyed with at least two strong beers.

Music by JuliusH from Pixabay

What started out as a week from hell turned into something quite unexpected and delightful. In part one, Julia, Jason, Frankie, and Eric dissect the RWE Pokal match with such surgical precision, you might miss it if you blink. In part two, we talk to VfB Stuttgart fan and footballer, Marc Maegerle (follow him on FB), about Bayer Leverkusen’s convincing victory over VfB – football like back in 2020! Enjoy the pod and have a happy start to your week.

The Crew are back and we’ve brought friends. RBL fan Erik Wilde joins us to discuss the battle of the corporations as Taurine overcame Aspirin on the weekend, leading to massive headaches for all Bayer fans. In part two, Jason, Eric, and Frankie discuss the recent transfers, including an in-depth look at Jeremie Frimpong thanks to Jason’s interview with Celtic fan, Kieran Polland. Settle back and enjoy!

*apologies for Eric’s audio – we tried to limit his time on mic due to the difficulty.