Source: Daily_Mail
Martin Samuel: Manuel Neuer must be No 1 choice for Sir Alex Ferguson
There was good news and bad news in the Veltins-Arena on Tuesday night. The good news is that Manchester United are going to Wembley; the bad news is that Manuel Neuer is going to Munich.[LNB]Probably. Neither journey has been finalised yet so, for United at least, hope remains. Maybe they could persuade the Schalke goalkeeper to reconsider the move to Bayern Munich that many consider an inevitability this summer. The thought that he will not be Edwin van der Sar's replacement next season was the only dark cloud on United's horizon as they made their way home from the Ruhr Valley. Everything else had gone as well as could possibly be expected.[LNB]United will take a two-goal lead to the return leg at Old Trafford, and remain on course to be the first club in Champions League history not to concede a goal away from home in an entire campaign. [LNB] Sure you want to go to Bayern? Sir Alex Ferguson (right) with Manuel Neuer[LNB] [LNB] Even Schalke's slow lap of honour suggested the Germans considered the tie over. What remains to be seen is whether United can capitalise on their supremacy to turn the head of Schalke's best player, goalkeeper Neuer. Without him this could have been a night of embarrassment for a group of players who looked very much the Bundesliga's 10th best team. [LNB]Schalke's league position, more than their incongruous Champions League form, was the clue. Mid-table, mediocre, already on their second manager of the season, they were outclassed from first to last and could have set some form of record fora semi-final mis-match were it not for the stunning Neuer.[LNB]Ignore the result for a moment. He was immense, absolutely immense. United were in scintillating nick and full credit to Sir Alex Ferguson for sniffing blood on his scouting mission to Gelsenkirchen earlier this month and sending out his team to finish the job in 90 minutes, not 180. Yet, for all this, the star of the show was the lonely figure in the Schalke goal.[LNB]Lonely because he looked to be the only member of this team who might get anywhere near Manchester United'sstarting XI, certainly once Van der Sar calls time on his career next month.[LNB]Denied: Manuel Neuer saves Javier Hernandez's shot as Schalke struggle against Manchester United[LNB] [LNB] Had Schalke not possessed a goalkeeper of Neuer's talent, the tie, let alone the game, could have been done within 30 minutes. Instead, he somehow kept these teams deadlocked for more than an hour until Ryan Giggs, 37 now the oldest Champions League goalscorer then Wayne Rooney released the pressure from the return leg next Wednesday. Only an utter calamity could let Schalke back in now. United are all but Wembley bound, the only matter outstanding being whether they will meet Real Madrid or Barcelona.[LNB]It was, then, another rotten night for Arsenal, and not just because they will once again have their noses pressed against the glass as United claim a berth in a European final. It was rotten because Neuer is exactly the sort of player who might havemade the difference for Arsenal this season, yet once again they are not in the mix. [LNB]There is a German goalkeeper on theirbooks, but it is Jens Lehmann, out of retirement, not the young man whoturned in arguably the finest goalkeeping display of the season for 60minutes on Tuesday.[LNB]Neuer was strong, imposing, nimble, everything Wenger could wish for in his new goalkeeper, including available. Neuer announced last week he would not be signing a new deal at Schalke and would leave in the summer, prompting many observers to declare his arrival at Bayern as good as settled. Yet there must have been a time when a deal could have been done, and where were Arsenal then?[LNB]United were said to be on Neuer's trail before switching their attentions to David De Gea, of Atletico Madrid, and if there remains any chance of an intervention, surely now is the time.[LNB]Spread-eagled: Manuel Neuer is alert again to deny Javier Hernandez[LNB] [LNB] If Ferguson had moments to ruminate on anything beyond the wastefulness of his strikers in the first half, his thoughts would have turned to Neuer's immense feat of resistance.[LNB]He was hardly a secret before this, though. Injury and tragedy had led to a battlefield promotion for Neuer at the 2010 World Cup, where he impressed in a young German side.[LNB]This was merely confirmation that he was running on more than adrenalin in South Africa, a display so accomplished it offered the only clue as to Schalke's passage through Europe this season. [LNB]His team-mates admittedly shorn of their best defender Benedikt Howedes did not look as if they had a competent 90 minutes in them, certainly at the back.[LNB]Stretching: Manuel Neuer pulls off another top save against Manchester United[LNB] [LNB] Indeed, their best tactic in the first half was the element of surprise, United's forwards seeming genuinely shocked to be finding so many good scoring positions with suchease. Then there was Neuer to frustrate them. It was like some elaborate gag that nobody had told him about. Every time Schalke contrived to present United with a glorious scoring opportunity, the goalkeeper would pull off one of the saves of the season to keep the scores level.[LNB]His right hand alone kept Schalke in the game in the first half, twice denying Giggs when United's ascendancyseemed inevitable. If this was indeed his audition for a big summer move, no other candidate has interviewed as well under pressure. To callit heroic, in the sporting sense of course, would not exaggerate his contribution to this match, whatever the outcome.[LNB]Neuer kept the scoreline respectable and United honest in the second leg. Without him, United could almost have fielded their Carling Cup team with confidence.[LNB]In many ways, the problem for United was that Inter Milan, the Champions League holders, have been so poor inEurope this season, it made Schalke's quarter-final hard to judge. Credit once more to Ferguson, then, in not being fooled. He knew his team had copped a break in their semi-final draw and he sent a team out to exploit this.[LNB]Finally breached: Ryan Giggs slots the ball past Manuel Neuer to open the scoring for Manchester United[LNB] [LNB]Has he missed a trick on Neuer, though? Only time will tell. The move to Munich could still be hijacked and, if not, De Gea may turn out to be everything his German counterpartis, and more. He will have to go some to top this, however.[LNB]Meanwhile, Arsenal supporters watching enviously from home must again be left with more questions thananswers. Why do their club not compete for a player of Neuer's undoubted quality? Why, when Arsenal are almost a fixture in the knockout stage of the Champions League, do they not trade punches with their rivals when Germany's goalkeeper comes on the market?[LNB]Maybe Neuer's move to Munich is assured. Worth a test, though, isn't it? Worth an exploration of his commitment to a club not even guaranteed Champions League football next season. Arsene knows, is the mantra, but some things do not require the mind of a professor.[LNB]Arsenal could really do with a goalkeeper as good as Neuer. So could most teams, for that matter, including United.[LNB]P.S. Haven't we seen this somewhere before?[LNB]As Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer repelled wave after wave of United attacks in the first half, it recalled the former feats of Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford.[LNB] That was then: Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel makes a point blank save[LNB] Ferguson praises players as United stroll to comfortable victory over SchalkeSchalke 0 Manchester United 2: Rooney and Giggs fire Reds a step closer to WembleyCHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE: Schalke 0 Manchester United 2 - the action as it happenedAll the latest Manchester United news, features and opinion [LNB] Explore more:People: Jens Lehmann, Alex Ferguson, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Edwin Van Der Sar Places: Barcelona, Munich, Germany, South Africa, Europe
