David de Gea | 2011-14 Performances

[Donut]

He's a professional, I bet he's been learning English since he knew he's coming to us. And it's not like he needs to be a fluent speaker.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It will take him all of 30 seconds to learn the only two English words he needs to keep nets properly, "Keeper!" and "Away!"

 

[Decotron]

It will take him all of 30 seconds to learn the only two English words he needs to keep nets properly, "Keeper!" and "Away!"

Dont forget "sorry Nemanja"

 

[Name Changed]

It will take him all of 30 seconds to learn the only two English words he needs to keep nets properly, "Keeper!" and "Away!"

Exactly.

 

[Plechazunga]

Also "Where's Evra?" and "feck's sake"

I can't believe Lindegard is 27. Still young for a keeper, but I thought he was like 20.

 

[Name Changed]

Maybe a dumb question from me but is it 100% sure he'll be the number 1 keeper ?

Yes of course.

 

[Skywarden]

"Chew him up, Rafa!" and "Go on, son!" will come handy too.

 

[I'm always right]

Also "Where's Evra?"

"What the feck is he doing playing left wing again!"

I love paddy, true man love.

 

[kouroux]

Bloody hell, he's a keeper not an outfield player! He'd go anywhere and play exactly the same. He's also go the best back four in the world protecting him so there will be no settling in period. He's a certified talent, who already played first choice for one of the biggest clubs in Spain.

It shows how clueless you can be about football.There isn't a single position in football that the performance isn't affected by confidence and a goalkeeper's performance is highly linked to it.
Plus

 

[kouroux]

Bloody hell, he's a keeper not an outfield player! He'd go anywhere and play exactly the same. He's also go the best back four in the world protecting him so there will be no settling in period. He's a certified talent, who already played first choice for one of the biggest clubs in Spain.

It shows how clueless you can be about football.There isn't a single position in football that the performance isn't affected by confidence and a goalkeeper's performance is highly linked to it.There are so many factors which can affect his performances

 

[I'm always right]

So clueless he told you twice!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It shows how clueless you can be about football.There isn't a single position in football that the performance isn't affected by confidence and a goalkeeper's performance is highly linked to it.There are so many factors which can affect his performances

I sometimes think confidence is more important for a keeper than anyone else, because there's nowhere to hide.

In the first CL game against Schalke last season Neuer looked like someone who just didn't believe he could be beaten. There was almost an aura around him that was keeping the ball out. In the second game, he let in a soft(ish) goal and looked easily beatable from that point onwards.

As for De Gea, from what little I've seen of him, he looks to have a brilliant mentality. Very cool, calm and collected. Never panics. If he can conquer nerves that effectively, I'm sure he'll be equally as strong in the other mental aspects of the game.

 

[KM]

Good article in today's independent from De Gea's former GK coach

'Mentally tough De Gea can exceed Van der Sar' - Premier League, Football - The Independent

 

[kouroux]

I sometimes think confidence is more important for a keeper than anyone else, because there's nowhere to hide.

In the first CL game against Schalke last season Neuer looked like someone who just didn't believe he could be beaten. There was almost an aura around him that was keeping the ball out. In the second game, he let in a soft(ish) goal and looked easily beatable from that point onwards.

As for De Gea, from what little I've seen of him, he looks to have a brilliant mentality. Very cool, calm and collected. Never panics. If he can conquer nerves that effectively, I'm sure he'll be equally as strong in the other mental aspects of the game.

You would know about it IIRC

 

[mariachi-19]

It shows how clueless you can be about football.There isn't a single position in football that the performance isn't affected by confidence and a goalkeeper's performance is highly linked to it.There are so many factors which can affect his performances

Oh feck me, i'm talking about playing styles. It's not as if he's going to have to deal with the same issues that outfield players do in terms of adapting to changes in leagues. If he has that issue then he's a pretty shit keeper. Especially considering the players in front of him. Confidence shouldn't really come into how long Fergie puts him in goal for. If he's low on confidence, keep playing him. There is no point taking him in and out, because his head will just dip further. He'll get a consistent run of games from August till October. If he's struggling we'll take him out and work on it.

Pull your head in too btw.

 

[peterstorey]

I sometimes think confidence is more important for a keeper than anyone else, because there's nowhere to hide. .

That was Seaman's greatest strength, he'd make a cock up and a minute later it's like it never happened. I think it became a weakness at the very end when he wouldn't admit he was past it.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That was Seaman's greatest strength, he'd make a cock up and a minute later it's like it never happened. I think it became a weakness at the very end when he wouldn't admit he was past it.

Now that's something I can definitely relate to!

 

[Red Defence]

Many papers carry quotes from David de Gea's MUTV interview, which you can watch on ManUtd.com. The Daily Mail also report: "After speaking to MUTV, De Gea flew back to Madrid for a press conference to say goodbye to Atletico. He was overcome by emotion as he tried to explain his reasons for leaving. The Spain Under 21 goalkeeper broke down in floods of tears as he bade farewell to his boyhood club, with whom he won the Europa League in 2010, beating Fulham in the final."

Sounds like he's going to miss Madrid a fair bit.

 

[mariachi-19]

I'd say thats very much the same with alot of players moving from boyhood clubs to bigger teams. They are in affect his family and its like the whole moving out of home going to boarding school thing for the first time.

 

[Solius]

I've been trying to translate his tweets. He seems to talk about crack a lot.

 

[Unam333]

You know, I get this vibe that deep down he doesn't want to leave A Madrid. Hopefully it won't affect his mental state when playing for us.

 

[Striker10]

If you read his statements at Madrid you would assume he'd stay for life but then you had Forlan saying he's desperate to move....I think there's been a lot of bs being thrown about. I think he's happy but doesn't want to upset the Madrid fans by being overly happy.

 

[Commadus]

Every GK will make a howler - it's how you deal with it. Top GK would follow up a howler with a world class save.

As to a GK mentality - you have to have thick skin and tell everyone to feck off once in a while. Last weekend I got shit from my defenders for not coming out - they expect me to catch everything in the box no matter how hard. It was a constant swear fest - GK should never be weak willed or they will be finished.

 

[kouroux]

Oh feck me, i'm talking about playing styles. It's not as if he's going to have to deal with the same issues that outfield players do in terms of adapting to changes in leagues. If he has that issue then he's a pretty shit keeper. Especially considering the players in front of him. Confidence shouldn't really come into how long Fergie puts him in goal for. If he's low on confidence, keep playing him. There is no point taking him in and out, because his head will just dip further. He'll get a consistent run of games from August till October. If he's struggling we'll take him out and work on it.

Pull your head in too btw.

He said it himself that the two leagues are different.He won't face the same issues as an outfield player but it will still be different, for instance he'll have to deal with a lot more aerial balls and the fact that strikers in England are allowed to challenge the keeper in the air a lot more than in Spain.
It won't be the same, he'll have to adapt.It's so obvious but not for everyone I guess

 

[charlenefan]

Second most expensive goalkeeper ever

 

[Lance Uppercut]

It will take him all of 30 seconds to learn the only two English words he needs to keep nets properly, "Keeper!" and "Away!"

Watching him trying to organise a wall will be amusing.

 

[Kaos]

You know, I get this vibe that deep down he doesn't want to leave A Madrid. Hopefully it won't affect his mental state when playing for us.

He knows that at United he has a chance at developing into one of the best keepers in the world, and probably has a greater shot into breaking into the senior Spanish side, who have no shortage of great keepers.

And let's forget, its not like he didn't have a choice in this. He could have easily played the loyalty card and chose to stay at Athletico for an easier life.

 

[Big-Red]

Watching him trying to organise a wall will be amusing.

Hold up number of fingers, wave hand left/right.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Hold up number of fingers, wave hand left/right.

What are the fingers for?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Number of people in wall.

 

[kouroux]

What are the fingers for?

 

[Blair]

What are the fingers for?

Please tell me this is a joke?

 

[SharkyMcShark]

Evra and Park can speak Spanish anyway can't they?

(I'm assuming they'll be closer to the goal when De Gea is doing defensive organising than Hernandez will)

 

[Chirag]

What are the fingers for?

Number of players required in the wall..

 

[December_16]

What are the fingers for?

Number of metres you can stand from the ball.


*whitext*

 

[mariachi-19]

He said it himself that the two leagues are different.He won't face the same issues as an outfield player but it will still be different, for instance he'll have to deal with a lot more aerial balls and the fact that strikers in England are allowed to challenge the keeper in the air a lot more than in Spain.
It won't be the same, he'll have to adapt.It's so obvious but not for everyone I guess

And it will take a whole 2-3 training sessions to make up for these changes. The point originally and more importantly made is that he won't have a bed in period where Fergie plays him here and there. Whats the point? He's a keeper and they get better after long consistent runs unless your Almunia or Ben Foster.

 

[westlife4ever]

Evra and Park can speak Spanish anyway can't they?

(I'm assuming they'll be closer to the goal when De Gea is doing defensive organising than Hernandez will)

Park? I think he only speaks Korean, English and broken Dutch.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

Sounds like he's going to miss Madrid a fair bit.

Daily Mail seem to be lying. Seems he was calm and composed as ever.

It's normal practice in la Liga for departing footballers to have a farewell press conference and spend a large chunk of it blubbering like girls confessing that leaving for another club is tearing them apart inside.

This certainly wasn't the case for new Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea on Wednesday afternoon at a hastily-arranged farewell chat with the media at the Vicente Calderón. De Gea didn't look in the least bit bothered about the supposed trauma of swapping the Spanish capital for Old Trafford.

In the club's VIP room overlooking the racetrack that has been plonked onto the Atlético Madrid pitch - another story, for another day - journalists had been enjoying chill-out house music and TV screens showing photos of De Gea's life at the Rojiblancos before the 20-year-old sat down behind the desk to talk about the departure which had been announced earlier in the day.

De Gea responded to this Spanish inquisition with the same sense of serene calm and capability that attracted Sir Alex Ferguson, who sees the young keeper as the replacement for Edwin Van Der Sar despite the newcomer being half the Dutchman's age and with not much more than a season-and-a-half's experience of top-flight football.

The goalkeeper told everyone what they wanted to hear, including Football365, who asked what De Gea's first impressions were of Manchester United. "They have everything, it's a huge club, the best in the world. It's perfect." However, the youngster was still keen to soothe the tempers of certain sections of the Atlético support who see De Gea as a mercenary who turned down the chance to stay at the club which gave him his big break to move to England, where he will reportedly treble the salary offered to him by Atlético.

"I'm proud to have been a part of this team, I'll always have this club in my heart," explained De Gea. "The club fought for me, made me a renewal offer but in the end I took the decision with my family to leave. Manchester United is the perfect club for me to keep developing as a player and as a person."

De Gea's move to Manchester United had its origins in sheer luck in the autumn of 2009. Atlético's first-choice keeper Sergio Asenjo was away on international duty and during a Champions League game against Porto in September, the number two was injured to give De Gea his chance. It was the biggest of leaps for the keeper who began the campaign on the bench for the club's B team.

The Madridileño made his league debut four days later against Zaragoza in a match when De Gea gave away a penalty. But instead of falling apart in front of the home fans, he saved the subsequent spot-kick giving an early indication of the footballer's mental control. "He's tremendously cool-headed," said Abel Resino, Atlético's manager at the time and himself a former goalkeeper. "He doesn't suffer from nerves." De Gea hung onto his place as Atlético's number one to play a key role in the side's Europa League victory the following summer.

De Gea is already a great goalkeeper. Despite being tall and a little gangly, he is agile, a solid shot-stopper and is extremely consistent rather than spectacular. He can certainly improve in his command of his box, but that is surely something that will come with age and experience. Iker Casillas certainly doesn't see anything stopping his progression. "He'll soon be fighting for my place, he's a great keeper," said the Spain captain.

It is this ice-cold temperament and ability to deliver in the biggest of games - as shown last season with De Gea's best performances being against Real Madrid and Barcelona - that must have most attracted Manchester United's scouts, who were regular visitors to the Vicente Calderón last season.

So far in his short career, nothing seems to have fazed the young keeper, neither playing behind one of the most chaotic back fours in la Liga nor a year of dressing-room infighting and feuds, neither making it onto Vicente Del Bosque's long list for the World Cup nor winning the U-21 European Championships with Spain.

The move to Manchester United is being handled in exactly the same way, if Wednesday's performance in front of the press is any indication. De Gea appears to be taking the move to Old Trafford in his stride like everything else that has happened in an incredible 20-month journey. It is this unflappable facade that will be De Gea's greatest asset as he starts his life on one of the world's biggest footballing stages.

Good article BTW. He's cool as feck like Edwin.

 

[Lynk]

I was reading tweets in real time from journalists who were at that press conference and they said there was no sign of any tears....leave it to the tabloids to spout bollocks.

 

[MadDogg]

Evra and Park can speak Spanish anyway can't they?

(I'm assuming they'll be closer to the goal when De Gea is doing defensive organising than Hernandez will)

Evra does (although not sure how much), Park doesn't. I think it was Evra who said that he had to act as a translator between Tevez and Park back in the hey day of Jitevra