David De(cade) Gea - How will he be remembered?

CoopersDream

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So condescending, yet again.
It's not hindsight when you know the position and where he should be standing.
But it is hindsight simply because you now know exactly how it played out and that Viggo sort of covered the other side of the goal and thus he should have taken up a position knowing that. However, I do agree that his positioning for this goal isn't great, and that he could have saved it if he positioned himself better.

But people like you will continue to say "De Gea hasn't been at fault so he should be our #1" while goals like this continue to flood in because much like you, De Gea still doesn't know the basics of his position...
What now? This is just you making things up when someone calls you out when you have bad takes on things. My original point was that De Gea learning these basics of the positions you keep coming back to wouldn't make him the best in the world, because he isn't particularly stand out in any other goalkeeper attribute either at this point in time. Tell me, how would he have been the best in the world at this point if he is just merely good in shot stopping (which, by all accounts, is at best his level right now) and learn these basics (which certainly according to you all professional goalkeepers should have learned)?
 

SadlerMUFC

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So condescending, yet again.

But it is hindsight simply because you now know exactly how it played out and that Viggo sort of covered the other side of the goal and thus he should have taken up a position knowing that. However, I do agree that his positioning for this goal isn't great, and that he could have saved it if he positioned himself better.


What now? This is just you making things up when someone calls you out when you have bad takes on things. My original point was that De Gea learning these basics of the positions you keep coming back to wouldn't make him the best in the world, because he isn't particularly stand out in any other goalkeeper attribute either at this point in time. Tell me, how would he have been the best in the world at this point if he is just merely good in shot stopping (which, by all accounts, is at best his level right now) and learn these basics (which certainly according to you all professional goalkeepers should have learned)?
He got by with his agility. He made saves nobody else could make. No a combo of poor basics and low confidence is seeing him concede goals he never used to. And again, that goal was NOT hindsight. I could see it when the play was developing. i remember screaming at the TV while the announcers talked up how great a goal it was and while everyone on here talked about how it was "unsavable". Sorry, but that's wrong. it was very savable. You just need to be in the right position. Not a "hindsight" position. A position based on what angle the player was coming in on and where his defender was. This is just one example (around 1:20). I have pointed out several others here as well that 99% of the folks around here don't understand. For example, this goal against Barca. I don't care about the goal that he completely screws up for the second goal (as long as it doesn't become a habit). That was one we just shake our head at and so does he. It isn't likely to happen again. But the other one was bad. Messi cutting in from the right with a defender taking away near post. De Gea should be cheating a little to his left. But he's too far over to the left. Again, poor at the basics. The thing is, there is no doubt in my mind that the De Gea from a couple years prior would have made this save. But as he gets a little bit older, he loses even just a little bit of his agility and it's in off the post...

 

CoopersDream

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He got by with his agility. He made saves nobody else could make.
Yes, he did, he doesn't anymore and haven't done for years now. I don't think it's just a loss of confidence (surely a loss of confidence affects him a bit both in regards to this and his all around play), but he's getting older and thus losing the reflexes that allowed him to make those saves.

This is just one example (around 1:20). I have pointed out several others here as well that 99% of the folks around here don't understand. For example, this goal against Barca. I don't care about the goal that he completely screws up for the second goal (as long as it doesn't become a habit). That was one we just shake our head at and so does he. It isn't likely to happen again. But the other one was bad. Messi cutting in from the right with a defender taking away near post. De Gea should be cheating a little to his left. But he's too far over to the left. Again, poor at the basics. The thing is, there is no doubt in my mind that the De Gea from a couple years prior would have made this save. But as he gets a little bit older, he loses even just a little bit of his agility and it's in off the post...
I absolutely do agree that he could have cheated against Messi's shot, because by all means the near post was covered in all of the run-up. He should have positioned himself better for that goal, don't think he would have saved it anyways though as it was a great shot and there is a reason why Messi has scored what feels like 200 goals from that exact position. I think the Everton goal is quite different, though, and I doubt that we will ever agree on that one.
 

Siezard

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De Gea became complacent (Though he had a humble face) because he earned too much and knew he had already reached the pinnacle of his success with the highest pay contract for a keeper. It's like the situation with Alexis Sanchez again. Hopefully, he will pick himself back up and redeem himself again.
 

afatzp

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Unpopular opinion here
I don't think folks put all attributes in the equation when comparing DDG and VDS: Yes DDG is great shot stopper , but VDS' positioning and commanding made everything look so easy. Such skills are way undervalued. With better commanding of his defense line, lots of those magic saves from DDG might not be even necessary. To me VDS is the better goalie, and both below Schmeichel by distance.

DDG was part of the shit team performance during those years, why he can solely enjoy the exception to be considered blameless ? As the most experienced player in the defense line-up , DDG contributed so little to make the defense cohesive.

Not to mention those fax machine drama and constantly seeking opportunities to make a move back to Madrid and not willing to commit his future until running out his contract into last year and received big fat offer.

To sum up, DDG is good player and probably remembered as the signature for the post-Fergie trophy-drought era. But legend who supposedly brings glory to the club ? No .
 

redrobed

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I will remember him as having had a (fairly lenghty) period where he was easily the best GK in the league - possibly the world. He carried us at times. I’ll also remember a period since (and when he 1st arrived) where he probably shouldn’t be our 1st choice GK. Overall I’d say he’s tier(s) below VDS and Peter but for a time was as good as either. Just lacked the ability to maintain that level.
 

donnghia

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I think he will be remember as a decent goal keeper, who help Man Utd win several Titles... Never come up to the level of Edwin not even Peter. If he never win UEFA Champion with us in the near future
 

blythy

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He should be regarded as a club legend, who was unfortunate to be our best player in our worst seasons.

5x PFA Team of the year
4x United Player of the Year
1x Fifpro World 11

It's a shame his level has dropped, but he was our most consistent world class performer for a long long time. The player he was, will be extremely difficult to replace.
Agreed.

People have short very memories... He's second only to Schmeichel and Van der Sar in recent times.
 

Welbeckham

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He’s a very limited goalkeeper whose only great attribute has been shot-stopping and he’s not been good at it for three years. Obviously he was quite outstanding in that particular thing for a couple of seasons, but his ability is also being glorified because of his dramatic, often unorthodox style of making saves. And he often has to make those dramatic saves because his line is the only area he is willing to defend.

He’s always been very soft mentally and physically. For me a player who’s not a winner can not be a club legend. You can’t put it on his mates that for both his club and his country, he hides from responsibility. The position of a goalkeeper requires much more than what he does.

Still, a good servant for the club until 2017-2018 season, after which he has mostly been a liability. But we would have been better off if we replaced him ages ago.
 
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He’s a very limited goalkeeper whose only great attribute has been shot-stopping and he’s not been good at it for three years. Obviously he was quite outstanding in that particular thing for a couple of seasons, but his ability is also being glorified because of his dramatic, often unorthodox style of making saves. And he often has to make those dramatic saves because his line is the only area he is willing to defend.

He’s always been very soft mentally and physically. For me a player who’s not a winner can not be a club legend. You can’t put it on his mates that for both his club and his country, he hides from responsibility. The position of a goalkeeper requires much more than what he does.

Still, a good servant for the club until 2017-2018 season, after which he has mostly been a liability. But we would have been better off if we replaced him ages ago.
really disrespectful post.

he was battered by every shit striker and by the English press when he arrived here. Dropped by the manager multiple times.

he came back and was brilliant for us. That’s not someone who has a soft mentality.

he’s not the right keeper for us now. But don’t rewrite history.
 

UDontMessWith24

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Unpopular opinion here
I don't think folks put all attributes in the equation when comparing DDG and VDS: Yes DDG is great shot stopper , but VDS' positioning and commanding made everything look so easy. Such skills are way undervalued. With better commanding of his defense line, lots of those magic saves from DDG might not be even necessary. To me VDS is the better goalie, and both below Schmeichel by distance.

DDG was part of the shit team performance during those years, why he can solely enjoy the exception to be considered blameless ? As the most experienced player in the defense line-up , DDG contributed so little to make the defense cohesive.

Not to mention those fax machine drama and constantly seeking opportunities to make a move back to Madrid and not willing to commit his future until running out his contract into last year and received big fat offer.

To sum up, DDG is good player and probably remembered as the signature for the post-Fergie trophy-drought era. But legend who supposedly brings glory to the club ? No .
Funny you forgot to mention VDS got to play behind the best CB duo in PL history.
 

vangagal

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Some serious disrespect posts for DDG here. Same happen with Rooney's related threads at the end of his career here. Absolute madness.
 

UDontMessWith24

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really disrespectful post.

he was battered by every shit striker and by the English press when he arrived here. Dropped by the manager multiple times.

he came back and was brilliant for us. That’s not someone who has a soft mentality.

he’s not the right keeper for us now. But don’t rewrite history.
I can't remember which off the top of my head, but there were two seasons fairly recently in which we wouldn't have qualified for the CL without him making saves on a weekly basis that defied the laws of physics. Imagine the long term damage that would have been done to the club without those two CL qualifications? Look at Arsenal and how long of a rebuilding process they have on their hands now that the finishes outside the top 4 are piling up.
 

Alfie092

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United legend in my eyes.

Post-Fergie you can say he has been our best player. Constantly played behind a crap and often changed defenders and was pulling off save after save. Yes he is not the same anymore but let's not forget how good he was for us.
 

padzilla

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I wonder how Schmiecel or VDS would have fared in the United side of the last few years? De Gea was our best player for quite some time, sadly he appears to be on the decline but as usual with us these days we have let things reach the point where it is a problem. Remember how Fergie moved players on and replaced them with younger players, without dropping standards, Robson to Ince to Keane being a prime example. Under Woodward's leadership we would never have signed Keane and tripled Ince's contract terms.
 

Kostov

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Some serious disrespect posts for DDG here. Same happen with Rooney's related threads at the end of his career here. Absolute madness.
As you pointed out, fans were quick to insult Rooney on here than what can you expect they would say about DDG? People have short memories.
 

Kostov

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United legend in my eyes.

Post-Fergie you can say he has been our best player. Constantly played behind a crap and often changed defenders and was pulling off save after save. Yes he is not the same anymore but let's not forget how good he was for us.
Add midfield to that list too.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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2011-12 - dodgy
2012-18 - fantastic
2018-present - dodgy

For me if a top player is poor for over 12 months it crosses from “bad form” to decline. I remember people talking about Torres “poor form” 3 years into his decline. I don’t think we can say it’s bad form with De Gea now, it’s clear he’s declined. Still a fantastic servant for the club the majority of his time here. Particularly in 14-15, he was unbelievable.
 

JB7

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Funny you forgot to mention VDS got to play behind the best CB duo in PL history.
The relationship between GK and centre backs worked both ways. Yes, they were the best pairing in PL history but in front of Kuszczak they were nowhere near as assured as in front of Van der Sar as he was probably the best goalkeeper around at the time and they knew his game as he was so consistent in his positioning and style of goalkeeping. That dynamic was a triangle with VDS being an equal partner, more so than simply being a pairing.

The main criticism of DDG has always been that he has not been consistent in his style of goalkeeping which makes him a difficult keeper to play in front of, as you cannot trust where he will be or if he will attack the ball as you want a GK to do. This has obviously gotten more obvious in the last couple of years but it has always been there - we just masked it more when he was pulling out worldie saves left, right and centre - the simple fact is other GKs wouldn't need to make such saves some of the time because their initial actions or positioning would have been better.

That being said, I believe he will go down as a United great - legend is a term thrown around too much in my view - to give 10 years service as the top level is no mean feat, to be our player of the season three years running (four years in five) is unheard of and has to be recognised for the excellent achievement that it was. Would I put him in the bracket of VDS or Schmeichel, no but that isn't a criticism of him as they were just incredible goalkeepers. I'll remember him fondly when he goes - which I do think should be this summer if a deal can be struck that works for all parties.