Getting rid of a goalkeeper who’d just won the Golden Glove could be considered a misguided move, but 17 Premier League cleen sheets masked what was another disappointing campaign for David De Gea. The Spaniard’s inability to effectively operate as an 11th outfielder has routinely been scrutinised, and this weakness to his game really came to the fore in the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City, that proved to be his final game in a Manchester United shirt after he confirmed his Old Trafford exit on Saturday.
De Gea made more inaccurate passes (18) than any other player at Wembley last month, and against a City side that will dominate possession, this seemed to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for Erik ten Hag. “There are occasions in the game, issues in the game, we have to improve,” the United boss said when pressed on De Gea’s problematic distribution in the wake of the 2-1 loss to their city rivals.
