When Manchester United visited St. James' Park in April, Newcastle were surprised to see David de Gea hesitant with the ball.
De Gea was ponderous when in possession and Newcastle, a team who ferociously press opponents, could smell blood. The hosts pushed high up the pitch in the final third and an experienced, senior goalkeeper looked increasingly vulnerable.
Newcastle made building from the back an arduous task for United and Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinz became frustrated, with De Gea unable to bypass the high press with his passing, which meant aimlessly playing it long.
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Rather unsurprisingly, that eventually proved costly when De Gea lost the ball in the second half and Newcastle scored. Eddie Howe's side were deserving winners and it was later revealed they had drawn confidence from De Gea's hesitancy.
Speaking after the game, Newcastle winger Jacob Murphy admitted his team's press started whenever De Gea had the ball. He said the Spaniard's indecisiveness was 'unusual' and admitted he was surprised at how slow the build-up was.
Murphy suggested Newcastle knew they were going to have a 'good game' when seeing how uncomfortable De Gea was at the back. Many opponents must have felt the same throughout last season but they no longer have that weakness to target.
The final chapter of De Gea's time at Old Trafford has been written and his 12-year stay at the club has come to an end. The goalkeeper's departure was made official at the weekend and the amicable divorce has been welcomed.
There's no denying De Gea, who was the last player to win the Premier League at United, has been an outstanding long-term servant, but it was time to move on. The game has evolved and it's the right decision to leave him behind.
The 2-0 defeat against Newcastle in April epitomised De Gea in the autumn of his career, as despite being awkward with the ball and a trigger for the opponent to press, he made a string of excellent saves to keep the score down.
It's argued, predominantly by the old school, that a goalkeeper's job is to keep the ball out of the net but that's too simplistic in 2023. The game has changed and any player in that role must now be relatively competent when in possession.
United will have a new No.1 goalkeeper next season and the few remaining supporters who thought De Gea should stay will begin to realise the difference a ball-playing stopper can make, should someone like Andre Onana be signed.
Erik ten Hag wants his side to play out from the back and De Gea had to leave because he did not align with that philosophy. The rebuild should take another step forward with a new No.1 and it shouldn't take long for the changes to bear fruit.
With a new goalkeeper, someone who is capable of breaking lines with the ball on the ground, there will be a numerical advantage in build-up play, which makes breaking through the opposition press a routine, not an arduous challenge.
The number of times possession is lost should be reduced and United will also be able to play with a higher line. The new No.1 will be expected to have an advanced starting position and that will allow United to defend on the front foot.
Simple balls over the top should cause fewer issues next season and this will give the backline more confidence in build-up play. De Gea was rarely seen venturing outside of his box and he was prone to making blunders when he did.
Inter Milan's Onana delivered a passing masterclass in the Champions League final and Man City struggled to win possession in areas where they usually would, which gave the Italians some breathing space against the best team in Europe.
The importance of having that breathing space can't be understated, especially against the most elite sides who press brilliantly, and a goalkeeper who can funnel the ball into midfield is worth their weight in gold in the modern game.
De Gea was a pressing trigger for Newcastle's players in the spring, but when the two sides meet again next season, that weakness will no longer be there, meaning the Reds' rivals won't be able to copy and paste their strategy.
Although the new era at Old Trafford started last season, it feels like the process can really kick on with a new goalkeeper.
