Saturday, September 18, 2021
Serious ridicule for Monaco goalkeeper
Nübel’s next plan threatens to fail
By Tobias Nordmann
Alexander Nübel is determined to be Manuel Neuer’s successor. The young goalkeeper made that more than clear. It was not well received everywhere. But aspiration and reality are far apart. His detour via France could even become a dead end.
So it is also known in France what the ambitious plans of Alexander Nübel look like. The goalkeeper, who left FC Schalke 04 in the summer of 2020 under less than ideal circumstances, is determined to be Manuel Neuer ‘s successor at FC Bayern. And actually, according to the planning, it should be ready soon. This season, the 24-year-old wanted to be a real challenger. The separation between the posts should be initiated slowly but inexorably. Nübel had announced this several times very briskly, or had it announced through his advisor. That didn’t go down well in Munich.
And so the plan had to be discarded very quickly. Because on Säbener Strasse, Nübel encountered tough realities and even tougher resistance in the past season, which he wanted to contest as a learner. To a newcomer, who was in excellent shape, and to coach Hansi Flick, who couldn’t warm up a bit about giving the keeper (much) more time than absolutely necessary between the posts, although it was allegedly agreed otherwise. Keyword (s) “guaranteed operating times” by sports director Hasan Salihamidžić.
Nübel is now in France. He plays under coach Niko Kovac at AS Monaco. And the location for the 24-year-old is good. Actually. Because the Croat trusts him. For a goalkeeper this is just as important as strong saves. And that brings us to the crux of the story. Because Nübel does not tend to show strong parades. The detour via the principality is currently threatening to lead to a bitter dead end. Because proof of work that underpins his claim to be the upcoming number one at FC Bayern, he hardly gets any more. Worse still: In France, the criticism of the German goalkeeper is growing. Right now Jerome is blaspheming Alonzo. You don’t know that here. But in France it does. The 48-year-old has played for Paris St. Germain, among others, and has stood between the posts 133 times in the top division. He’s not a legend.
“It seems lame, insecure and technically limited”
Anyway, as a seasoned goalkeeper, he has at least a certain amount of expertise. And in the “Nübel case” he brought her into the game before the Europa League duel between the Monegasque and Sturm Graz (1-0) on “L’Equipe TV”: “That should be the future successor of Manuel Neuer at Bayern? He doesn’t make a good impression on me. He seems lame, insecure and technically limited. ” Now we know from the local experts that loud barking always goes down well and makes for headlines and discussions. No matter how hard the opinion is based on the truth. Bitter news for Nübel: Alonzo’s sentences pick up a mood that is increasingly directed against him. The goalkeeper is made at least partly responsible for the weak start to the season of the AS. After five match days, the team is only in 16th place, has only won one game, but has already lost three.
After the harsh criticism – among other things, “Le Figaro” made him the “flop of the game” after 2-0 in the league against RC Lens – coach Kovac continues in front of his goalkeeper. In the middle of the week he vehemently choked off an impending goalkeeper discussion: “I’m happy with Alex, he’s a smart guy. He’ll show his qualities because he’s a very good goalkeeper.” But the Berliner also knows that Nübel urgently needs big moments in order to rebuild self-confidence. “He conceded several goals that he couldn’t do anything about. Of the seven we conceded in Ligue 1, four or five were one-on-one. It’s hard to stand out.” At the moment he doesn’t have a lot of chances to show his skills because AS didn’t allow many opportunities. “He needs a sense of achievement and more support from the players before him, not just from the defenders but from the entire team.”
A stable backing? not yet
After all, there was another zero game against Graz on Thursday evening. However, the Austrians were extremely harmless and Nübel had no chance at the guests’ best opportunity. A long-range shot from Ivan Ljubic hit the crossbar and the goalkeeper flew spectacularly, but was far from the ball. In fact, he doesn’t afford much of this, but there are always uncertainties involved. He is not (yet) a stable source of support. And currently far from leaving an impression at Bayern that will answer the future goalkeeper question in the long term. Which, by the way, also applies to the national team. Because the number one at the record champions is of course always a regular topic. Marc-André ter Stegen knows the suffering of others.
The loan to AS Monaco is set to run for two years, so there is still plenty of time for the change for the better. But Neuer still has a contract in Munich for just as long. And it cannot be ruled out that things will not go a little further afterwards. And so it cannot be ruled out that the detour from Nübel does not lead to where it should lead: back to FC Bayern as number one.
For this role, Stefan Effenberg – football legend, expert and columnist – now throws another name into the debate pot. Gregor Kobel finds the polarizing “tiger” interested, as he admits at t-online. “From today’s perspective,” he writes, “there can really only be one successor for Neuer.” Kobel. The Swiss has solved Borussia Dortmund’s keeper problem in a spectacular way this season. The fact that BVB is doing very well in third place despite a shaky defense is also due to the 23-year-old’s strong saves. Effenberg does not believe that Nübel is still really imposing. He judges: “The plan to build a young successor in the club with the former Schalke Alexander Nübel has already failed tremendously.”
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