Julian Nagelsmann made a highly controversial decision in the weeks leading up to the World Cup. That decision, of course, was the action to bring Manuel Neuer out of retirement for the national team and announce him as the starting goalkeeper for Germany this summer in North America.
The move was highly criticized for two reasons:
1) Manuel Neuer has not proven to be a consistent goalkeeper in recent months, and it is impossible to know which version will show up on matchday, although he still has the
ability to be elite.
2) Calling up someone who hasn’t played with the team in two years, and knocking Oliver Baumann out of the spot is a potential concern for teammates who might feel as though they have done everything possible to prove themselves and join the team, just for someone to make a comeback (it also happened with Toni Kroos).
Despite the controversy, Arsenal striker Kai Havertz was recently asked about his opinion on the goalkeeping situation for the national team and gave a positive comment about his fellow teammates. “Manu is the best goalkeeper I’ve ever seen in my career. We don’t need to talk about him. Oli [Baumann] has had a great season with Hoffenheim. We can be happy that we have two very good goalkeepers. In the end it’s the coach’s decision,” said Havertz, as captured via @iMiaSanMia.
This response is probably the best possible answer he could have given, with the exception that he gave no credit to third-choice Alexander Nübel. At the end of the day, there are decisions that have to be made to give the team the best chance to win, and Nagelsmann made this choice.
However, is there another element involved here where Nagelsmann’s decision could actually disrupt the squad rather than benefit it? Let us know in the comments!
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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