Manuel Neuer will play his fourth World Cup in Qatar and his fourth as number one. The national coach has no doubts about him, although there were scenes this season that allow for doubts.
The Federal Minister of the Interior at the time, Wolfgang Schäuble, spoke of a “severe setback“, the ARD broadcast a “Focal Point”. The trigger was the news that Michael Ballack would be out of action for the 2010 World Cup due to an ankle injury.
Of a “Horror Scenario” was written, and the question was asked whether Germany without Ballack would only be worth half as much. That was not the case, as it turned out in South Africa with third place.
There was no flashpoint or cancellation ahead of the 2018 World Cup. Manuel Neuer got fit in time. But a horror scenario was conjured up should the goalkeeper miss the title defense because of his third metatarsal fracture. The question was if Germany would only be worth half without the best goalkeeper in the world. The answer was all the more sobering that even Neuer did not prevent the ignominious elimination after the group phase.
Plagued by injuries
Even before the 2022 World Cup, which starts in Qatar in a few days, Neuer had to struggle with an injury again. This time it was a shoulder that hurt. When things seemed to be getting tight and doubts were growing as to whether it would be enough, Neuer was back in goal at Bayern Munich. He played in the 3-2 win at Hertha BSC, the trade magazine “kicker” gave his performance a 3.0, as did the 6-1 win against Werder Bremen and the 2-0 win at his former club FC Schalke.
“Satisfying”. That sounds average. That doesn’t sound like Manuel Neuer. On average, and that rarely happened in the long career of the now 36-year-old goalkeeper, there is even a three instead of two before the comma.
Average performance
There were a few scenes this season when the observers thought that Neuer would have saved such a shot last season, such as the goal of his current national team colleague Youssoufa Moukoko in the game at Borussia Dortmund. This mixture of slaps and fists in the development of the 2:2 in the same game triggered another question. Wouldn’t he have caught the flank in his almost decades-long heyday and gently pressed his knee into the opponent’s back so that he had no chance of getting the ball?
Doesn’t Neuer, the goalkeeper who made the libero socially acceptable again, play a little more cautiously now? Does he sometimes hesitate in situations where he seemed overzealous not so long ago?
Goalkeeper difficult to rate
There are no objective answers to these questions. Although movement profiles are created, these profiles of each individual depend on so many factors, such as their own tactics, the opponent’s tactics and the composition of the teams, that they can only be indicators, just like the kicker scores. The number of shots blocked on average is also part of this, because taking three shots from 25 meters is something different than clarifying two out of three one-on-one situations.
When comparing the data for the current and last season, it is striking that many values have remained almost the same. Only the difference of 15 percentage points in the balls held by Neuer is significant, although the quality of the shots would also have to be considered in each individual case in order to make a serious judgment.
Under Flick “the clear number one”
With a view to the World Cup in Qatar, national coach Hansi Flick and his staff hardly seem to have had such thoughts. When asked in an interview with various tabloids whether he hadn’t been questioned as number one because of the shoulder injury, Neuer said: “It just wasn’t an issue. The coaching staff made it clear from the start that I am the clear number one.”