Following Manuel Neuer’s blunder in Augsburg, there’s been discussion about Bayern’s goalkeeping situation. Max Eberl has now clarified the club’s plans regarding Neuer and Urbig.
The debate surrounding Manuel Neuer and Jonas Urbig has picked up significant momentum once again following FC Bayern’s 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg. Neuer made a serious mistake on the goal conceded just eight seconds into the game and didn’t look particularly comfortable on the hosts’ second goal either.
Ahead of the Champions League match against Viking Stavanger, however, Max Eberl made it unmistakably clear that the performance in Augsburg does not change FC Bayern’s fundamental goalkeeper hierarchy.
“Manu made a mistake. That’s surely happened to him a few times over his two decades as a professional soccer player. For us, there’s absolutely no doubt about Manu. We have a clear plan. We’ve been implementing it for almost a year and a half, almost two years. Manu is our number one, and he’ll remain so. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the future. Vinnie has already given some thought to who will start tomorrow. That’s why I don’t want to get ahead of myself just yet,” said the FCB boss.
With this, Eberl is demonstratively backing the 40-year-old. Although the sporting director had clearly criticized Neuer’s mistake in the 0–1 loss immediately after the match in Augsburg, this is not intended to lead to a fundamental reassessment of the goalkeeper situation.
Starting Urbig would not be a reaction to Neuer’s mistake
It remains to be seen, however, who will be between the posts on Tuesday evening in Stavanger. Recent reports have suggested that Jonas Urbig could get a chance to start in Norway.
Importantly, as things stand, such a change would not be seen as a direct consequence of Neuer’s blunder against Augsburg. Bayern has long had a plan for Urbig to give him more playing time in a targeted manner and gradually prepare him for a larger role.
(function(){
var iframe=document.getElementById(‚polls-fcbinside‘);
if(!iframe)return;
window.addEventListener(‚message‘,function(e){
if(e.source!==iframe.contentWindow)return;
var d=e.data||{};
if(d.type===’FOOTY_WIDGET_HEIGHT’&&typeof d.height===’number‘){iframe.style.height=d.height+’px‘;}
});
})();
The 23-year-old has also recently impressed with the German national team, keeping a clean sheet in both of his appearances. In Stavanger, he could now get his next opportunity to showcase his skills on the international stage.
At the same time, Eberl’s comments make it clear where the limits of this rotation currently lie. Neuer remains the number one. Urbig is meant to gain playing experience and continue to develop, but an immediate change in the starting lineup is not planned.
Especially after the Augsburg game, public attention on the position is likely to continue to grow. Should Urbig actually start against Stavanger and put in a convincing performance, the discussion about Bayern’s long-term number one is unlikely to die down. Internally, however, club officials are sticking to the plan they’ve been pursuing for some time.