The World Cup will be a distraction for Manchester United this season but for David de Gea it will be a time of reflection as he watches on from afar, wondering if he might ever represent his country at a major tournament again.
At the age of 31, he is not old by goalkeeper standards by any means. However, many believe his style of play to be stuck in the past. It seems utterly ridiculous to say, but his job isn't just to simply keep the ball out of the net anymore.
If Spain manager Luis Enrique was choosing his World Cup squad based solely on shot-stopping ability, then De Gea would still be his No.1. The United 'keeper remains a world leader in his quality at keeping the ball out of the net, as he showed on Sunday evening, though it is widely accepted that he could be better at preventing those shots from happening in the first place.
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In fact, there was little surprise when De Gea was absent from the 55-man provisional World Cup squad last week, such is his awkward fit into the way former Barcelona boss Enrique wants his side to play.
“I look to have three starting goalkeepers and I think that right now I have them," he said back in June. "A goalkeeper should start the play and generate the first superiority, they must dominate the aerial play.
“I need a goalkeeper that transmits peace and calmness to me, that doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes, errors are part of football. What they generate I like a lot.”
Even after his heroics against West Ham, gone are the days where De Gea is regarded as the standout goalkeeper in the Premier League, now he isn't even the standout Spanish shot-stopper playing in the Premier League.
Three of the five chosen ahead of him currently play in the English top-flight; Brentford’s David Raya, Brighton’s Robert Sanchez, Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizibalaga as well as Athletic’s Unai Simon and David Soria from Getafe.
A quick look at basic passing stats explains the thinking. De Gea currently ranks 12th-place in the Premier League for successful passes by goalkeepers this season, with 335 to his name. Top of the list is Raya with 480, Sanchez eighth with 362 and another Spaniard, Vicente Guaita of Crystal Palace is just below him with 320.
Another key element is how confident a 'keeper is in their own box at claiming the ball. Raya is second in the Premier League this season for high claims with 20 to his name, that is four times as many as the United No.1.
Guaita is fifth on the list with 16, Sanchez 12th-placed with ten. De Gea is in at 18th with just five to his name. Again, there is mitigation to how many long balls are played into their respective boxes, but just by watching United it is quite clearly a weakness of their 'keeper.
There is a lot more mitigation for the number of saves made, after all a 'keeper for a lesser side will likely make more in a campaign given how often they are expected to defend. Raya leads the way in the Premier League for saves made this season, with Guaita also ahead of De Gea, who sits in 15th-place, having made one more than Sanchez.
Ten Hag will be growing sick of the endless questions about signing a new goalkeeper, especially after this past weekend, but the truth is that the recruitment department are already compiling a shortlist of options should they decide to address the position next summer. Until a firm decision is made on De Gea it remains a valid subject to debate.
The 31-year-old has entered his final year at the club, though there is an option to extend that by another season, not that it is an obvious one to trigger given his huge wage demands and the difficulty it would take to find a club willing to buy him if they wanted to cash-in.
It has been suggested United could look to keep De Gea with a short-term extension on a significantly lower wage, but even if he accepted that, it would still be on the proviso of staying first-choice, which would complicate trying to sign another 'keeper, particularly one who is already a regular starter somewhere else.
It once again comes down to suitability. De Gea has been in fine form this season, with some notably clangers thrown in, but if they want to take their game to a new level than there is argument to suggest an improvement in this area is needed.
Ten Hag demands each player on the pitch to be comfortable with the ball at their feet and his desire to control matches must stem from having a goalkeeper aligned with his strict tactical demands, their current choice is certainly an awkward fit.
Porto star Diogo Costa is viewed as the perfect modern goalkeeper by many supporters while there is also an interest in Athletic Club's Unai Simon.
They both look like ideal fits to the progressive style of play Ten Hag is looking to implement at Old Trafford and, aged 23 and 25 respectively, could well be long-term solutions that give United the best part of a decade of service
It might be a tedious discussion, but it is a decision that gets closer by the week. De Gea might be the current No.1 but that doesn't mean he is a keeper.
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