No matter how many saves David de Gea makes, there will always be some Manchester United fans who strongly believe that the Reds need to replace the veteran Spaniard in the summer transfer window. The goalkeeper was impressive in the Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle United, but his future still remains unclear.
The 32-year-old, who signed for United from Atletico Madrid in 2011, kept a clean sheet on Sunday afternoon as Erik ten Hag's side won their first trophy since 2017. The Reds secured a 2-0 victory over the Magpies thanks to a Casemiro header and an own-goal as they somewhat eased past Newcastle.
By shutting out Eddie Howe's side, De Gea has now overtaken Peter Schmeichel to record the most clean sheets in the club's history, having registered 181 in his 523 appearances for United. The shot-stopper, who has also made the 10th-most appearances for the Reds, has been an ever-present in the Premier League this term, and he was flawless on the big stage on Sunday.
ALSO READ: Ten Hag explains Glazer attendance at Man United Carabao Cup final win
For a lot of United players, the Carabao Cup triumph was their first taste of silverware at Old Trafford. For De Gea, though, it was his second League Cup win, with the Spanish ace having also won the Premier League, FA Cup and the Europa League.
De Gea was in excellent form against Newcastle and made smart stops from Allan Saint-Maximin and Joelinton to help keep the Magpies at bay. His save to deny the French attacker in the first half was a stunner, especially given the tricky winger had eased past Diogo Dalot with a wonderful bit of skill to create some space for a shot.
The goalkeeper, as he has often done for United, especially in recent weeks, stood strong and managed to deflect the ball away from his goal. At that point, with the game finely poised at 0-0, it was a vital save - and the Reds did what all good teams do and made the most of their lifeline.
Regardless of how De Gea played against Newcastle in the final - or for the duration of this campaign - there will be some who call for the club to part ways with the goalkeeper when his contract expires in the summer. The 32-year-old is widely expected to remain at Old Trafford, and while he has still got some way to go in order to be a 'Ten Hag goalkeeper', the pros of keeping him outweigh the cons.
Ten Hag has, clearly, put his stamp on United. It was clear from the start how the Dutchman wanted his team to play, and after the defeats to Brighton and Brentford the Reds manager was open on the improvements that needed to come in order to achieve that. The former Ajax chief has also demanded commitment and passion from his players, and that, as much as anything else, is evident in every single match.
Whether or not United go on to win any more trophies this season remains to be seen, but even if they do - or don't - Ten Hag will insist that the players improve next season. There will undoubtedly be changes over the summer, and several first-team players could find themselves playing for a new side. However, the Dutchman will also be keen to keep a level of consistency.
It is more than fair to say that De Gea needs to improve his distribution, and should he remain at United under Ten Hag, it is definitely something he will work on. However, there is also a suggestion that keeping a goalkeeper who is coping - even if not excelling - with the style of play would be beneficial to a lot of people. Importantly, those playing in front of him, who have looked so comfortable in recent months, would likely welcome it.
De Gea's issue has never been his shot-stopping ability, but rather his ability to turn defence into attack. Yet, the Spaniard does more good things than bad, and the stuff he does well is arguably not done better than any other goalkeeper in world football.
While it is important that United continue to progress, it is also vital that Ten Hag is able to work with and improve the players who have already given him so much during his first season in charge. In the Carabao Cup final alone, De Gea proved that he is worth backing on this journey back to the top.
READ NEXT
