New fighter: i am not a goalkeeper for “show flying”
In crisis situations, a captain is especially challenged. Ducking away is not an option, the female manuel neuer, who rigorously defended himself against doubts about his performance capabilities before the test of strength with the french top strikers kylian mbappe and antoine griezmann at the stade de france.
"I'm in great shape, i feel good, during the world championship i performed well," the 32-year-old said in the stade de france. Even his long-injured fub was absolutely okay, he said. He may not have had "any match luck in the last few games". But he also lacked at times the opportunities to excel.
Neuer has no self-doubt. And he also became fundamental: his game "as a rough goalkeeper" is just not "to fly through the penalty area". He does a lot with good positional play. "You don't get those moments where you're showboating," he said, in contrast to other, more spectacularly holding goalkeepers.
In the second part of the DFB press conference, joachim low announced some personnel changes compared to the 0:3 loss in holland. "But manuel neuer will not be concerned. He will be in goal," announced the national coach. Low has no doubts about neuer. And the captain wants to go ahead: "we know the seriousness of the situation. Our goal and motivation is very high to keep the three points for ourselves."
Neuer was reminded several times of the first leg in munich, when the german eleven held the world champions to a 0-0 draw thanks to a unified team and defensive performance. "It was a decent game. We had the opportunity to win."
After the defeat in amsterdam and the fall to the last place in the nations league, however, everything about the national team is being questioned – not only the national coach. Even neuer, at 32 the oldest in the squad, seems to have lost his untouchable status after the world cup and the new debacle in the netherlands.
Neuer's role in the DFB circle has changed. The long absence due to the multiple fub injury has tarnished the status of the team senior. Not only rival and crown prince marc-andre ter stegen found it irritating that low returned neuer to number 1 status before the world cup despite his long break from competition.
Neuer was not the culprit in the world cup debacle. But the charisma of earlier times fades at times. The resoluteness especially with high balls into the penalty area seems to have dwindled. The first goal conceded in holland after a corner was a testament to that. "That looked unfortunate," he admitted. "It was a cross from goal, very difficult for me to get to it. We then also lose two head-to-head duels again. I think I am partly to blame and our defensive players too." but except for the goal against he was "very satisfied" with his game.
In the debate about low's loyalty to the 2014 world champions, a new one cannot be left out of the discussion. Low also attests ter stegen the status of world class, which the 26-year-old regularly proves at FC barcelona. Nevertheless, for low, ter stegen is only "the man to come. It's up to newer to preserve the ranking.
The captain himself can only look good if the players in front of him defend in a compact, stable and disciplined manner. The final period, with two more goals against and a crossbar goal against the netherlands, was "a bit harakiri," he lamented. "You were punished in cold blood," said neuer – referring to himself as a goalkeeper.
Neuer or ter stegen? At the 2020 european championship, neuer will be 34; at the 2022 world cup, he'll be 36. But he is the captain and world champion goalkeeper of 2014. Neuer's international record is outstanding, with 57 wins, 11 draws, 13 defeats and 72 goals conceded in 81 internationals. Against the world champion, the "game luck" should also return to him.