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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Steven Railston

David de Gea showed why Manchester United fans are divided about his future in 10 seconds

In the 66th minute of Manchester United's game against Brentford, David de Gea indicated he was taking a long goal-kick.

The defensive line pushed up the pitch and De Gea lumped the ball down the field, only to find Ethan Pinnock, who headed the ball down to Ivan Toney, which suddenly created a goalscoring opportunity for Brentford's Kevin Schade.

Unsurprisingly, Pinnock beat Jadon Sancho to the first header, Toney expertly flicked the ball around Lisandro Martinez and Schade found himself one-on-one with De Gea. That whole passage of play took place in just 10 seconds.

ALSO READ: Ten Hag explains why Martial did not start vs Brentford

Schade attempted to finish the move by chipping the ball over De Gea, but the goalkeeper stood his ground. Schade has yet to score a goal in the Premier League and the majority of the strikers in the division wouldn't have wasted that chance.

Although there were just 10 seconds between De Gea taking the goal-kick and making the save, that small passage of play summarised his professional career: he is poor with with the ball at his feet but an excellent shot-stopper.

Erik ten Hag, speaking at his post-match press conference, praised De Gea for his intervention to deny Schade, but he created the problem himself. The passage of play was like a firefighter extinguishing a flame that he'd just set alight.

De Gea looks uncomfortable whenever given the ball on the ground and he was also close to another blunder against Brentford, when attempting to clear the ball in the first half, only for Toney to charge his effort down and block it.

The ball flashed past the post and De Gea was visibly relieved, as in another game, it might have hit the back of the net. There were audible gasps in the crowd at the moment and there are clear signs fans are becoming divided over his future.

De Gea is out of contract at the end of the season and he's currently negotiating an extension with reduced terms, but there is a growing section of the fanbase that would prefer for him to leave upon the expiration of his deal.

De Gea can often create his own problems (2023 Getty Images)

There is no denying De Gea has been an outstanding servant at Old Trafford. He's made over 500 appearances for the club and was genuinely the world's best goalkeeper for a spell, but there is a feeling a departure this summer might be for the best.

The 31-year-old joined United from Atletico Madrid back in June 2011 and the demands of his position have evolved in the 12 years since. An elite goalkeeper needs to be good with the ball and De Gea has failed to evolve at the rate required.

De Gea remains a wonderful shot-stopper, which has been seen throughout the season, but the other aspects of his game, like his wayward distribution, lack of confidence with the ball and poor aerial presence, are obvious problems.

Ten Hag wants his side to play out from the back and that's the aim for his rebuild, yet his goalkeeper is not capable of delivering that. De Gea has been given time to improve in that area, but he's a square peg in a round hole.

His lack of ability with the ball at his feet has been repeatedly highlighted and it's starting to affect results. It's no secret that De Gea does not have the skill set to play it short and that opposition teams consider him on the ball as a pressing trigger.

This invites pressure onto the backline and does not allow the team to move up the pitch. Newcastle, who have pressed with the most intensity in the league this season, took advantage of it last weekend and more sides will in the future.

The ultimate question is whether Ten Hag is comfortable with his team having a glaring weakness. His body of work in management suggests not, but he's consistently praised De Gea and he might still be the No.1 goalkeeper next season.

Although a decision on De Gea'a future is imminent, an amicable split remains possible. Ten Hag will make the final call and it will ultimately hinge on whether he thinks strengthening other positions is more of a priority this summer.

Can United go another season with a goalkeeper who struggles with the ball and who can't efficiently distribute? If they are serious about challenging for the Premier League title, perhaps not.

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