Former Austria international Helge Payer believes Neuer's loss of aura on the field is linked to the controversy surrounding his return to the German national team and Oliver Baumann being relegated to substitute goalkeeper.
Payer told wettbasis.com: "The discussion about Baumann has deeply affected his (Neuer's) goalkeeping mentality and gotten into his head, so he doesn't have that aura anymore."
"He looks constrained. When asked about it, he'll put on a smile, but in this situation, it's completely inappropriate."
Payer added that Neuer is trying to compensate for this change: "Because he knows that the prestige he once had hasn't fully translated to the field. He's now under pressure because everyone is looking for minor faults in him."
The former professional player, who earned 20 caps for the Austrian national team and later served as a goalkeeping coach, further stated: "Something has broken, but not his prestige or his legendary status. No one will take that away from him; he changed the way goalkeepers play, and only a few in history have done that. However, the German Football Association did not handle the player selection process well."
Additionally, Payer defended Neuer in the controversy over Ecuador's second goal in Germany's 1-2 loss, questioning whether it was a goalkeeping error.
"To blame him now because of that action – I agree with Hildebrand's view – that goal is completely out of context; it's absolute nonsense. Neuer shouldn't have to bear such criticism," Payer emphasized.
For Payer, Neuer's post-match explanation of the goal he conceded was "completely correct." However, he also said: "If Neuer were to watch that situation again now, he would do things a little differently."
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