The price Nübel / C3 / Gr. B / Real Sociedad-Monaco / SOFOOT.com
Freshly landed from Bayern Munich with the label of “New Manuel Neuer” , Alexandre Nübel disappoints. Head of the Turkish official of Monegasque supporters, the German goalkeeper receives more criticism than goals, far from always being justified. Performing directly in a new country with a different conception of the position and a defense that does not speak its language at 24, it is not done with gloves in the nose.
Just after unpacking his bags when arriving in Monaco, Alexander Nübel warned: “If I’m on loan here for two years, it’s to better acclimatize myself to Ligue 1.” It was June 27, and three months later, some already seem to have forgotten it. A little clumsy in the gestures, the goalkeeper does not necessarily reassure on the ground, having already conceded 14 goals in all competitions. With 54.5% saves, he is penultimate in Ligue 1 (ahead of Steve Mandanda) and has the worst start of his career. Another data, the expected goals after the shot, who measures the difficulty of a save against an opponent’s shot, shows that he conceded 2.6 too many goals. In the category it is 22e Ligue 1, just ahead of Green, Desmas or Bizot. From there to blame him for the start of the season more than failed of the ASM, it is much too strong coffee.
We all need a Bruno Irlès
Already, it would be to forget the first argument by Alexander Nübel during his presentation: the adaptation. “New goalkeeper is a bit special. You have to over-wait, have the patience for one, two or three months of real competitions to really judge him. ” These words, it is Flavio Roma who pronounces them, he who hung from 2001 to 2014 (with a three-season interlude at Milan). But before emerging in 249 matches in the princely jersey, he too had a complicated start: “When I arrived, everyone was saying: “We have a problem because the guard does not speak French.” When a foreigner signs, you have to have patience and teach him the basics of French in the field. I was lucky because Bruno Irlès (central defender at the time, Editor’s note) put himself in my place in the game. The things I couldn’t say, he was the one saying them. After that, it went quickly, I had the basics: “Leave, I have, get away.” In terms of tactics, Panucci and Simone who spoke Italian helped me a lot. But Nübel, he has the coach. ”
Where Gigio Donnarumma has to face the accumulated competition from Keylor Navas, Alexander Nübel is more in the configuration of a Pau Lopez in Marseille: his coach installed him as number one and has total confidence in him. Child of the German school, Niko Kovač insists at each press conference to be sure of his qualities: “He needs more support from the players in front of him, not just from the defenders side, but from the whole team, to better protect our goal. But I’m happy with Alex, he’s a smart guy, he’s going to show his qualities because he’s a very good goalkeeper. ”
Monegasque dynasty
Considered across the Rhine as the Neuer 2.0, after dazzling seasons at Schalke 04, Nübel left the gloves in the closet when he arrived at Bayern last season. Behind the great Manuel, he only played four ends of the match. And for the first time, his reputation weighed on his broad shoulders. “Honestly, this weight is really heavy. We’re talking about Neuer, the best of the best!, gets carried away Rome. If he’s smart, Nübel can take him on the safe side: “If they say I can be like him, then that means I have the qualities and I have to work on it.” But if he says to himself: “I am already a phenomenon, it will be fine”, so no, it can’t work. ” A comparison that adds to others already well anchored in the minds of Monegasque supporters. “If we base ourselves on the last ASM goalkeepers like Danijel Subašić, Stéphane Ruffier or me to judge him, it can give false information, points to the finalist of the Champions League 2004. You have to let work, because the German school is totally different. It is especially felt in the way he moves in goal. ”
Looking more closely, the German’s record is far from catastrophic compared to his previous ones. In eight league games, he lost three games and conceded eleven goals, at the level of Roma (3 losses, 8 goals taken), better than Lecomte (3 losses, but 16 goals taken) and incomparable with Subašić, whose first season was in Ligue 2. All while clearly underperforming. All the more so as different in the opinion of some twittos, only three but are directly attributable to him (a badly closed angle after reversal of the game against Nice, a dubious placement on a Trojan free kick, and a parry too soft to stop the ball facing to Lentille).
It’s not my fault
But since this but against his camp of Ruben Aguilar cashed in overtime against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League play-off, criticism has become more bitter. The Italian takes the floor again: “Unfortunate but like this, it can play on the mind. But he must clear his head, forget this but on the contrary watch and analyze it. Even if he is young, he already has the experience for it. ” An approach that applies to the entire team. “In fact, I find that Nübel is not the problem, assures the former Monegasque porter. If there are no results, it is more because of the team … ” Since the start of the season, Nübel has only missed one game. In front of him, there is real instability in defense: eight players share the playing time including the French, a Brazilian, a Chilean and a Serbian. The start of a bad joke, just waiting to find a happier fall.
By Émile Gillet
Proposals reported from Roma by EG.