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Football is truly entertaining, but at times, decisions made by people within the sport often generate a lot of confusion and arguments among spectators all over the world. These decisions usually emanate from various parties, and managers are not excluded.
Germany coach Joachim Low recently revealed that he would not be calling the trio of Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, and Mats Hummels up to the national team any longer - an announcement that sent the football world into a turmoil as people took turns to debate on the matter.
In his speech, he mentioned that 'this is the year for a new beginning' and football fans could perceive that he actually has his eyes set on the future. Pulling out the old players in the squad and giving opportunities to the young guns really looks like a great way to lay the foundations for what lies ahead.
However, while axing Muller, Boateng, and Hummels from the squad looks reasonable from Joachim Low's perspective, there has been a question on the minds of football fans during the past few weeks and that is: "how on earth is Manuel Neuer still in the team?"
The Bayern Munich goalkeeper was surprisingly left in the squad even after a number of his colleagues were pulled out. This decision has not gone down well with everyone as many believe that he should've been the first person to be taken off the team.
To be honest, keeping Neuer in the team doesn't look like a very good decision from Low and below, we discuss 3 reasons why the veteran goalkeeper should've also been axed by the manager:
#3 Manuel Neuer's age and injury crisis
Manuel Neuer's impact, both at the club and international level cannot be belittled, having won most of the major trophies in the sport, including the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. He has also maintained his stand as one of the finest goalkeepers in European football for the past 6 years.
However, his recurring injury concerns need to be taken into consideration as he has not been in his best physical condition for the past 2 years. The goalkeeper went into the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia struggling with fitness issues and he was far from his best as Germany were eliminated in the group stage.
His injury also cost Bayern Munich against Real Madrid in the Champions League last term as his absence forced the Bavarians to deploy Sven Ulreich between the sticks and the German International failed terribly at the Santiago Bernabeu. He also got injured earlier this year and missed 3 Bundesliga games as a result.
If Neuer's injury crisis is not convincing enough, let's consider his age. The goalkeeper was born on March 27, 1986, which implies that he is now 32 years old. Comparing his age with Thomas Muller (29), Mats Hummels (30) and Jerome Boateng (30), we can see that the guardian is clearly older than these axed players.
If Joachim Low actually wants to look to the future, then Manuel Neuer should not be part of it.
#2 Neuer's poor form
There is no denying Manuel Neuer has been a fantastic goalkeeper throughout his career, with his exceptional performances during the 2013 UEFA Champions League competition and the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament bearing witness to this claim.
However, it is important to note that his efforts have declined notably of late. The veteran goalkeeper has performed poorly this term, compared to his previous 5 seasons at Bayern Munich.
During the 2013/2014 Bundesliga campaign, Neuer conceded 17 goals in 32 matches, averaging 0.53 goals per 90 minutes with 15 clean sheets to his name while in the 2015/2016 season, he conceded 16 goals in 34 matches, at a rate of 0.47 goals per game as well as keeping 20 clean sheets.
Those are good stats for a world-class goalkeeper but it is quite obvious that Neuer has fallen below that standard, as evidenced in his efforts since last term. Last season, the goalkeeper couldn't feature for most of the campaign due to injury but he conceded 2 goals in the 3 Bundesliga games played.
Things have gotten even worse during the current campaign as Neuer has conceded 22 goals in 23 Bundesliga matches, averaging close to a goal a game, with just 8 clean sheets to his name.
Clearly, the goalkeeper is not his usual self anymore and might not be the answer that Germany needs right now.
#1 Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's brilliant form
Another reason why Manuel Neuer should have been axed by Joachim Low has to do with the continued brilliance of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. The German has been performing extraordinarily for the Liga giants for the past few years and he has already established himself among the finest guardians in Europe at the moment, with 11 clean sheets to his name in 27 LaLiga appearances this season.
Besides, Ter Stegen has also displayed his ability to step up in big games, making a lot of world-class saves for Barcelona against the likes of Real Madrid, Olympique Lyon, and Sevilla this term. His composure, confidence, and ball-distribution ability also deserve recognition.
At 26, the former Borussia Monchengladbach custodian still has plenty of years left in his career and if Joachim Low actually wants to think about the future, he needs to think about moving on from Manuel Neuer and giving the Barcelona superstar the nod between the sticks.
