Andy Cole has played down the number of mistakes David de Gea makes and claimed the goalkeeper is still a brilliant shot-stopper.
Although De Gea is out of contract at Manchester United at the end of this month, an extension of his deal on reduced terms has been expected for a few weeks now, with the public announcement thought to be imminent.
The deal is crucially yet to be signed off, though, meaning De Gea could still leave at the eleventh hour and even if the contract is signed, it's understood the Spaniard will be given no assurances over retaining his No.1 status.
That's a consequence of a muddling season, which saw De Gea record the most clean sheets in the Premier League but also commit multiple errors against the likes of Sevilla, West Ham and Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
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There is a feeling De Gea is not comfortable enough with the ball at his feet to align with Erik ten Hag's philosophy and Cole, speaking to Genting Casino, gave his thoughts on whether the 32-year-old should be let go or not.
Cole strongly defended De Gea and attempted to excuse his recent costly mistakes by saying 's*** happens' in football.
"This is my point of view on the David de Gea situation: A goalkeeper is meant to keep the ball out of the net, but they can make mistakes, as midfielders do when they misplace a pass or strikers when they miss chances," Cole said.
"Footballers are humans, not robots, and s*** happens. When we say that goalkeepers have to be brilliant with their feet, that's all some people look at rather than their actual shot-stopping ability.
"If Erik ten Hag wants to keep him but only as the back-up goalkeeper, then the new No.1 coming in has to be top drawer. If you look at Alisson at Liverpool, he's a fantastic goalkeeper, but he makes mistakes with his feet every now and then. Yes, he does.
"Look at Ederson at Manchester City, he's unbelievable with his feet, but does he make mistakes? Yes, he does. Are they both brilliant goalkeepers? Yes, they are.
I look at the goalkeepers I played with. Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar, they were some of the greatest goalkeepers because they kept the ball out the back of the net with their hands. So everyone goes on about De Gea's mistakes, but some of the performances he had probably got Manchester United out of a sticky position."
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