Manuel Neuer pleased with environment at Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer pleased with the competitive mentality at Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in the past 12 months. They were, unfortunately, looking like a team going in no direction in the final two months of Niko Kovac’s tenure. However, Hansi Flick’s appointment changed things completely and brought a lot of success in very little time.
One player that can sum up Die Roten’s turnaround is Manuel Neuer. The German international looked a shadow of himself when he returned from two serious foot injuries in 2018. He didn’t look confident in the goal and made uncharacteristic errors. His poor form was further highlighted during Germany’s disastrous World Cup campaign in 2018.
However, Neuer never gave up and improved steadily with more playing time under his belt. During the last campaign, the club captain stepped up and got back to his best level in crucial games. His saves in the Champions League final helped Die Roten to hold on to the lead and complete the second treble in the club’s history.
Neuer’s performances were rewarded with the goalkeeper of the year award at FIFA’s Best awards this month. In an interview with the club’s 51 magazine (via Bundesliga.com), Neuer insisted that players are working much harder now and pushing each other to improve performances.
"“We can be proud of this team. I personally have never experienced team spirit like it, and I’ve been in football for quite a while.”“If you look closely now, you can see how we players have changed. We push each other more than we used to, because we have to release these forces more from within.”"
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Die Roten has built a competitive squad ever since the departure of veteran players such as Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Rafinha, and Mats Hummels. The German club currently has two players in every position, which helps in extracting the best out of each player.
Neuer was also given a strong competitor in the summer when the club completed the signing of Alexander Nubel on a free transfer. When the pre-contract was agreed with the young goalkeeper in January, there was speculation about Neuer’s future at the club. However, Die Roten ended up extending his contract.
The strong environment in the dressing room is also down to Flick’s astute man-management. He had been publicly praised by numerous fringe players last season for his man-management skills. The German manager has also rewarded players for good performances with a sustained run in the team.
dark. Next. Top three Bayern performances in Hinrunde 2020/21
There are still a few areas that Bayern needs to strengthen in the upcoming transfer windows. The club will be looking to complete transfers that will boost the dressing room’s environment and provide much more quality on the pitch. Tactics and strategies are key in winning games, but having a good environment in the team makes sure that both short-term and long-term goals are achieved.