Premier League giants Spurs missed out on Alexander Nubel with Bayern Munich signing the goalkeeper from Bundesliga rivals Schalke.
The ‘new Manuel Neuer’ clearly has some way to go before he can call one of the greatest goalkeepers of the modern era an equal.
For the fourth time this season alone, Alexander Nubel made a mistake which led directly to an opposition goal as a worryingly out-of-form Schalke collapsed 3-0 to lose at Cologne last weekend.
It was the sort of save that Neuer, who will be competing for a place with Nubel at the Allianz Arena next season, would have made with his eyes closed. But, just two months after his summer move to Munich was confirmed, the young pretender endured another nightmare moment in a season which is turning sour in double-quick time.
With Schalke already 2-0 down away at a newly-promoted side, hee spilled Florian Kainz’s rather effort through his hands and over the goalline. Less ‘next Neuer’, more Massimo Taibi.
And while Tottenham Hotspur have had their own fair share of problems between the sticks this season, Michel Vorm gifting Norwich City an FA Cup equaliser in similar fashion on Wednesday night, no one in Jose Mourinho’s squad can match Nubel in the mistake stakes.
In fact, only Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka has made as many mistakes (4) leading directly to goals this season.
This comes not long after talkSPORT reported that one of Europe’s most promising young shot-stoppers was a target for Spurs before Bayern won the race. But with Nubel doing his burgeoning reputation no good whatsoever with another unforced error, there may be a few sighs of relief in North London right now.
Speaking to Sky after a 1-0 defeat to Nubel’s future employers Bayern in the DFB Pokal quarter-finals in midweek, Schalke coach David Wagner admitted that the Germany U21 star has lost his place between the sticks.
“(Markus) Schubert will play the next games. The goal is that he will stay in goal for the rest of the season,” Wagner explained.
“Alexander was composed when I informed him of the decision. He sensed it himself to a certain extent. It was a simple and short conversation.”
Nubel won’t need telling twice that, if he is to live up to his undoubted potential, these sorts of mistakes won’t be tolerated.
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