Manuel Neuer was one of the best goalkeepers in the world for a long time. But now there are increasing signs that the 38-year-old is no longer one of the best in his profession.
Manuel Neuer has stood between the posts at Bayern Munich since 2011. The goalkeeper, who trained at Schalke, quickly made himself indispensable for the German record champions and the German national team.
With his attacking style of play, the 1.93-metre tall blonde was something of a pioneer of modern goalkeeping. Rarely has a goalkeeper contributed as much to a World Cup triumph as Neuer did at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Five world goalkeeper awards (2013/2014/2015/2016/2020) also speak for themselves.
In contrast to last year, Bayern Munich are also looking good again in the Bundesliga. Vincent Kompany's star team is in a commanding first place. Above all, the defense is finally holding tight again: before the 1:1 draw against Dortmund, they had even gone seven games in a row without conceding a goal - only seven teams from the top leagues have managed a longer streak in the last ten years.
Hamann and Matthäus counted Neuer out
It was therefore all the more surprising that former Bayern professional and blue Sport expert Didi Hamann identified Germany's record goalkeeper (124 caps) as a potential weak point for Munich ahead of the clash against BVB.
"There have often been situations this year where Neuer was at fault for goals or where he was lucky (...)," said Hamann. "That means when you play balls over the heads of the defense: his timing has let him down a few times."
Before the series with Neuer's seven white vests, Bayern lost 4-1 to Barcelona in the Champions League, after which Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus criticized: "At the moment, he's not the back-up for the team that he was in the past. Manuel Neuer is no longer Manuel Neuer. Because he's not stopping the unstoppable balls, his goalkeeping has changed."
Poor statistics
In addition, statistics have recently emerged that give cause for concern. In the Bundesliga so far (12 match days), Neuer has only kept out 57.9% of the shots fired at his goal. That is currently the second weakest figure among the regular goalkeepers of the 18 Bundesliga clubs.
The 38-year-old is not much better in the Champions League. The veteran has made just four saves in five games (and conceded five goals) - meaning Neuer is also one of the worst performers in the top flight.
In the DFB Cup on Tuesday evening, Neuer's impetuous outing ultimately led to the team's elimination against defending champions Bayer Leverkusen. After a long ball from Tah, the keeper stopped the onrushing Frimpong with a hard body check outside the penalty area. The Bayern captain was sent off for the first time in his 867th game and 21 seasons as a professional footballer.
Playing style as a reason for poor performance?
Of course, there are also reasons why Neuer is often in the headlines this fall. Under coach Vincent Kompany, the back four is generally positioned very high in order to exert constant pressure. The danger: long balls behind the back line create a lot of space for opponents to launch successful counter-attacks.
Neuer, who is often positioned on the edge of the penalty area or even outside the sixteen, is then tasked with intercepting the steep passes. It is no easy task to always find the right timing. Especially as the onrushing players can often pick up a lot of speed.
Kahn's warning to Neuer
Nevertheless, Neuer seems to have lost some of his aura of invincibility in the recent past. Oliver Kahn, who also kept goal for Bayern and Germany for a long time, also suspects a connection with his retirement from the national team.
"You fall into a hole and ask yourself: what is the goal now, what can I still achieve? So I'm not surprised that Manuel hasn't shown the performances we're used to from him in every game this season," said Kahn recently, also talking about his own experiences after retiring from the DFB in 2006. Neuer can still call up his world-class performance: "It's a big challenge consistently. He has to define a clear goal for himself," emphasized Kahn.
The former Bayern CEO hopes that Neuer will not miss the right time to end his career. "Nobody wants to be whistled out of the stadium at the end of their career," said the 55-year-old. The final of the premier class will take place in the Allianz Arena next May. Kahn reflects on the end of Neuer's career: "Winning the Champions League in your own stadium would be the perfect time."
Who will be in goal for Bayern in the future?
Neuer's contract expires after the season. In Alexander Nübel, who has a contract in Munich until 2029 and is currently parked at Stuttgart, the designated successor is theoretically already in place. However, the Bayern bosses may still bring in an even more renowned goalkeeper. Gregor Kobel, who has been impressing at Dortmund for some time now, is always hotly tipped.
No matter who Neuer's successor will be one day: The footsteps are big, if not huge, in Munich. Yann Sommer, for example, failed to meet the challenge of filling the gap after Neuer's serious injury (lower leg fracture in December 2022).
After the Bayern interlude in the summer of 2023, the long-serving number 1 of the national team fled to Inter. And has since shown his undisputed class in Milan. This week, Sommer was named "Goalkeeper of the Year" in Italy.
