It has been suggested on Stretty News a number of times that David de Gea may struggle to adapt to Erik ten Hag’s preferred style of football.
While the Spaniard is in the running to win his fifth Manchester United Player of the Year award, some will say that he is the last player we should be focusing on in a negative way, but there is a strong chance that he will suffer as a result of Ten Hag’s appointment.
Sam Pilger has written an in-depth article for Forbes on how it is clear De Gea would not be Ten Hag’s first choice to be his keeper next season, but what might save him for now is the amount of more urgent problems.
Pilger, who previously worked for the club’s media team, wrote: “In a largely rudderless team Ten Hag would be reluctant to dispense with De Gea’s leadership and experience so quickly.”
When you look at the modern goalkeeper and what is demanded of them in the top sides, you see the very best coming off their lines regularly and almost acting like the 11th outfield player.
Ten Hag demands that his keeper is comfortable with the ball at their feet, exceptional passers, with the ability to build attacks from the back. None of these are De Gea’s strong points – so it will be interesting to see whether he can adapt next season.
He is ranked 16th for sweeper clearances in the Premier League with seven but, to make matters worse, De Gea is ranked 18th in the Premier League for passes, making a total of 788. Fellow Spaniard Robert Sanchez topped the charts with 1,333 after his impressive campaign at Brighton.
We shouldn’t forget that De Gea has his strong points. He remains a top keeper and you can’t name many who are better at shot-stopping.
Let us know in the comments section if you think De Gea can impress under Ten Hag?