'David de Gea slump requires action' after Manchester United loss to Chelsea
- Published
The time has come to replace De Gea with Henderson - Shearer
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defiantly announced David de Gea was "the best goalkeeper in the world" when his credentials were questioned following one of numerous high-profile errors this season.
That was after De Gea somehow managed to fumble a routine shot from Steven Bergwijn into the net behind him in the 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in June.
As defences go, it was as unconvincing and flimsy as Manchester United's rearguard in this dismal 3-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea at Wembley, when De Gea's own horrendous display shot large holes in the credibility of Solskjaer's statement.
There is a large body of evidence to suggest De Gea is no longer the best keeper in Manchester never mind the world - he is certainly not the best in the Premier League.
The Brazilian pair of Ederson at Manchester City and Liverpool's Alisson are far more accomplished - and more significantly Dean Henderson, on loan at Sheffield United from Manchester United, has had a better season than De Gea.
'Absolute howler' from De Gea gifts Chelsea second goal
The 29-year-old is either a keeper in permanent decline or going through the sort of extended slump that requires action rather than continued, and potentially costly, support from his manager.
De Gea, not to put too fine a point on it, was a total liability at Wembley.
No-one would expect Solskjaer to come out and give De Gea both barrels in public but to suggest he is the best keeper in the world is patently ludicrous and this latest performance exposed the real truth.
As this semi-final went deep into first-half injury time after a lengthy stoppage while Eric Bailly was treated for a head injury, Chelsea mounted one last attack.
Olivier Giroud's near-post flick came at De Gea quickly but his clumsy, jumbled attempt was hapless and the ball ended in the back of the net.
De Gea's second error, moments into the second half, was even more disturbing because Mason Mount's shot was a routine low affair from 20 yards, hardly a blockbuster. And yet United's keeper somehow allowed it to escape his grasp after getting both hands to it. It was a failure of concentration and technique.
David de Gea - do the statistics support the negative views? (Premier League only) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Saves | Save % | Conceded | Conceded per game | Clean sheets |
2011-12 | 29 | 102 | 77.9 | 29 | 1.00 | 13 |
2012-13 | 28 | 84 | 76.4 | 26 | 0.93 | 11 |
2013-14 | 37 | 99 | 69.3 | 43 | 1.16 | 12 |
2014-15 | 37 | 93 | 71.9 | 36 | 0.97 | 10 |
2015-16 | 34 | 83 | 71.1 | 33 | 0.97 | 15 |
2016-17 | 35 | 74 | 71.8 | 29 | 0.83 | 14 |
2017-18 | 37 | 115 | 80.3 | 28 | 0.76 | 18 |
2018-19 | 38 | 122 | 69.0 | 54 | 1.42 | 7 |
2019-20 | 36 | 91 | 72.2 | 35 | 0.97 | 12 |
Youngster Brandon Williams was at fault for gifting the ball to Mount while Victor Lindelof was too easily brushed aside by Giroud - but ultimate responsibility lay with De Gea.
Even before that recent error at Spurs, the Spain international was responsible for Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goal in the 1-1 draw at Everton, dawdling over a clearance before hitting it against the striker. There was another lapse in the 2-0 loss at Watford in December when he allowed Ismaila Sarr's shot to slip into the net.
The air of complete reliability De Gea once possessed disappeared a long time ago.
The bitter irony is that De Gea has been pretty much an absentee in Manchester United's recent FA Cup runs. He last played in this competition in their 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the 2018 final and the capable Argentine Sergio Romero has had the gloves this season.
Presumably Solskjaer felt De Gea was more suited to this FA Cup semi-final when measured in temperament and experience. He could not have been more wrong.
He was selected because this was a big game and he let his manager down.
The question now is how long Solskjaer will keep faith with De Gea when these mistakes continue?
De Gea mistakes send Chelsea to FA Cup final
Solskjaer is building a United side with a potent attack and a developing midfield but serious questions now surround the failing keeper who has been a figure of such influence at the club over almost a decade.
De Gea, despite Solskjaer's bold claims, is a shadow of the goalkeeper he once was and the rapid development of Henderson has given United's manager a serious question to ponder for next season.
Premier League goalkeeper errors leading to goals in 2019-20 (all competitions) | |
|---|---|
Martin Dubravka (Newcastle) | 5 |
Adrian (Liverpool) | 4 |
Alex McCarthy (Southampton) | 3 |
David de Gea (Manchester United) | 3 |
Jordan Pickford (Everton) | 3 |
Ederson (Manchester City) | 3 |
Has De Gea grown comfortable because of a lack of competition? Has this led to complacency setting in? Whatever the reason, something is wrong and Solskjaer cannot avoid it by delivering over-blown estimations of his goalkeeper's current form.
De Gea signed a hugely lucrative new deal in September 2019 that ties him to Old Trafford until 2023. It is a date that looks an awful long way off, and a very expensive way off, on the grim evidence of his display here.
Henderson is 23 and gaining vital experience under Chris Wilder at Sheffield United. He is also a fiercely ambitious character and eventually he will see himself as a Manchester United keeper - he may even feel he is now.
Solskjaer cannot afford to have a blind spot about a goalkeeper. Even if he does mistakenly believe De Gea is as good as he says he is - and he is not - he should at the very least be considering giving him some very serious, threatening competition.
The harsher verdict would be that it is time De Gea is replaced.