Schalke have no choice but to support Alexander Nübel

FC Schalke 04 goalkeeper Alexander Nübel made an early mistake in the team’s 5-0 loss to RB Leipzig, but making the departing keeper a scapegoat would be entirely unhelpful.

Ever since deciding to leave FC Schalke 04 for Bayern Munich upon the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season on a free transfer, Alexander Nübel has become an easy target for derision. Nübel’s decision has puzzled some, but he made the decision that he felt was the best for his career over the long term.

And while Schalke initially responded by rightfully removing his captaincy and spot in the starting lineup over an even better young goalkeeper in Markus Schubert, they have wisely avoided totally alienating the Bayern-bound star.

Nübel has returned to the starting lineup over the past couple of weeks due to an injury to Schubert, and the Royal Blues don’t really have another legitimate option in goal beyond the 23-year-old.

Last week, Schalke were embarrassed on their home turf by RB Leipzig, and Nübel received criticism for a poor display in goal. Nübel flashes world-class talent, but he often makes puzzling mistakes. In the first minute of the 5-0 loss, Nübel completely misread a shot from Marcel Sabitzer outside the box, failing to stop a strike with no real swerve that ended up basically in the middle of the goal.

Despite Nübel’s mistake, he was far from the worst player on the pitch. There were almost no bright spots in a second mortifying loss by Schalke against title contenders, and the club can no longer take European qualification of any sort for granted in 2019-2020.

Even so, they cannot afford to overreact, and being overly critical of a quality keeper in Nübel would be an easy overreaction. Nübel is a convenient target, but David Wagner and the club have made the correct decision by standing by the keeper.

Wagner told Sport Bild, via BuLiNews.com’s Laura Brandt:

"“Just like many other players, Alex had a bad game. Alex knows that he has to train well and then take the chance to do better in the next game.”"

The reality is that Schalke have no choice but to stand by their goalkeeper. With Schubert injured, they don’t have any other options in goal. Schubert should be the first-choice keeper when he’s healthy, but with only two keepers on the roster, the Royal Blues must be careful to not act punitively towards Nübel. Even when Schubert returns, there’s no guarantee he won’t suffer another setback before the end of the season.

Nübel has his issues as a keeper and isn’t exactly a fan favorite, but he’s an above-average starter in the Bundesliga and will be critical for the Royal Blues maintaining their standing as a team headed for European football in 2020-2021. Beyond that, Schalke need to encourage and get even better performances from Nübel if they want to turn things around in March for one final push to the top four.