Nagelsmann dismisses goalkeeping debate after Neuer's howler
| Julian Nagelsmann. |
Manuel Neuer started well in Germany's friendly against Greece on Friday, making a superb double save early in his side's 2-1 win.
However, the 38-year-old later gifted Greece their first goal when he dropped a weak shot into the path of Giorgos Masouras, who had no trouble scoring.
The mistake reignites the debate over Germany's goalkeeper position, with some suggesting that Marc-André ter Stegen, rather than Manuel Neuer, should be in goal at the Euros.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, however, is unfazed by the criticism directed at Neuer and intends to stick with the 38-year-old Bayern Munich shot-stopper.
"I won't allow a discussion to start, even if everyone tries. He made three good saves, everything is fine," Nagelsmann told German television after the game.
"It's always the goalkeeper's fault: If you don't solve a situation perfectly, it's always a goal against you," continued Nagelsmann.
“It's always easy to say that it's 'Manu'. There were three situations beforehand where we shouldn't have played the way we did. If we hadn't, there wouldn't even have been a shot on target.”
Standing next to Nagelsmann, RTL pundit Lothar Matthäus spoke of Neuer's "recurring personal mistakes".
"He doesn't seem secure, not only with the national team, but also with Bayern Munich," the former Germany international stressed.
However, with the European Championship just around the corner, Matthäus doesn't think a change of goalkeeper would be wise.
“It wouldn't be appropriate a week before the European Championship, it would cause anxiety, nobody needs that, he's had his saves. But of course it's inevitable that the public will discuss it, and Julian knows that.”
