Gary Neville does not think David de Gea will be at Manchester United for much longer because Erik ten Hag wants to play out from the back.
De Gea was United's most consistent performer last season and he kept his place as first-choice goalkeeper at Old Trafford following Ten Hag's appointment in the summer, with Dean Henderson being sent on loan to Nottingham Forest.
The 31-year-old is now into the final year of his contract, although the club has the option to extend his deal for another year. It remains to be seen whether United will exercise that option to keep him in Manchester for another season.
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United were defeated 6-3 by Manchester City on Sunday afternoon and the manner of the performance was concerning.
After defeats against Brighton and Brentford in August, Ten Hag implemented a pragmatic approach, which was seen again at the Etihad, but that's not something Neville believes the Dutchman will be able to achieve with De Gea in between the sticks.
"We're seeing a lot less of it [counter-attacking football], it's becoming a lot less of a theory that can succeed in football," Neville told his Sky Sports podcast. "It makes the team that is trying that tactic look really poor, negative and like they have no idea.
"It's where United maybe were under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sometimes in big games, when they had no other idea other than sitting back, thinking we'll counter-attack. We're seeing less success with that type of football.
"Other than Leicester, there hasn't really been a team that hasn't dominated possession most of the time that has won the Premier League in the last 15 or 20 years. Not really now, you have to be a very proactive team and on the front foot, pressing.
"That's where Erik ten Hag, to be fair to him, has stepped back. We saw a graphic about the last four games, which they had 42% possession, but they had 62% possession when they were losing [Brighton and Brentford], but also they've played more long balls.
"I think he's had to step back to go forward, but we all know where Ten Hag wants to get this United team, he wants 75% possession, players that can handle the ball, defenders can handle the ball and the goalkeeper needs to be brilliant on the ball.
"I suspect with David de Gea, his United career is going to be shortlived under Ten Hag because he's going to be adamant that his philosophy of playing out from the back, playing those risky passes to the midfield that we see with Ederson all the time, that we no longer see as risky because they do it so well, is something that he's striving for and that he wants to get to."
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