In the 12 seasons that David de Gea served as Manchester United’s No. 1 between the sticks, the role of the goalkeeper — or at least the manner in which it is interpreted by elite teams coached by cutting-edge tacticians — appears to have evolved beyond him.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, analysing Inter Milan ahead of the Champions League final last month, spoke of how his team’s pressing scheme would have to change from the one used against United in the FA Cup.
“When you have a keeper, [Andre] Onana, it is difficult to make a high press properly because you cannot press a keeper like that,” he said. “It’s different [from] United, for instance.” Notably, Onana’s footwork and passing were repeatedly cited by Guardiola among Inter’s key strengths.
