[Based Adnan]

The things I'd think goalkeepers improve with age are presence and reading of the game, while the agility and reflexes should decline with age. He has never looked like improving the former and the latter are showing signs of decline, at least he's not pulling off many worldies anymore.

With presence if a keeper has lacked that all of his career it's very rare for them to pick it up suddenly late in their career to compensate for their decline in other areas.

The best keepers that played till late already had an extremely high level of basic GK fundamentals so when the agility and reflexes decline, the rest of their goalkeeping still stays at a high level. Van Der Sar and Buffon are probably the two standout examples of this. De Gea has never been that guy though. He was world class and arguably the best in the world in big part thanks to his reflexes which were uncontested in football however, just like pace for outfield players, reflexes is the first port of decline for GKs. This isn't something specific to De Gea either. Infact i'd say more GKs fall into this category than the former.

 

[MadDogg]

I'd say there are more than 2 going on the footage.

Not really. Most of those I would expect any good keeper to save.

The two that I was talking about would have been the save from Wilson against Newcastle and Kurzawa against PSG. I would probably expect to concede those most of the time. The save against Mbappe and the reactions for Konate's header were fairly good as well, but I wouldn't class them as incredible. All the others would have been poor goalkeeping to concede from.

 

[Nicoseth]

Time to drop Dodgy De Gea. Looking very shaky of late, the Everton performance was an embarrassment. He almost gifted a goal to Newcastle with his terrible kicking at the weekend. Henderson has looked composed, commanding, has good distribution and you can hear him controlling the defense during the game. Hendo deserves his chance.

 

[kiristao]

Makes a great save but his kicking has gone to complete sh*t.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Great save from ziyech but my god does he need to come and catch some crosses!!

 

[acnumber9]

Solid game apart from that one shite kick.

 

[NinjaFletch]

The Ziyech shot was straight at him. He’s done pretty well to keep his arm strong as he was moving the other way, but there’s no way it’s not routine.

 

[Based Adnan]

Feels like at least once a game he gives it away in a dangerous area. One good save vs Ziyech, rest were standard.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Had to deal with the one shot at either end that wasn't straight at the keeper (though it kind of was) and did it well.

 

[Jackal981]

Great save from ziyech but my god does he need to come and catch some crosses!!

Insert some vampire joke here

 

[ivaldo]

The Ziyech shot was straight at him. He’s done pretty well to keep his arm strong as he was moving the other way, but there’s no way it’s not routine.

Nah. His reactions were good and he got a very strong hand to it. That would be a goal plenty of times.

 

[NinjaZombie]

The closest he comes to collecting crossers are those uncertain movements he makes then backs away from.

 

[Kag]

Makes a great save but his kicking has gone to complete sh*t.

He’s been doing that every fortnight for about four years.

 

[MetoTTT]

Solid game apart from that one shite kick.

Who could've cost us a goal. But I agree, good save.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Nah. His reactions were good and he got a very strong hand to it. That would be a goal plenty of times.

Yeah. It was. As I said: he’s done pretty well to keep his arm strong as he was moving the other way.

Ziyech’s finish was piss poor, but where he ended up putting it there would have been an inquest if that had gone in.

 

[acnumber9]

Who could've cost us a goal. But I agree, good save.

It could. But it didn’t. And he stopped a certain goal. Solid game.

 

[sullydnl]

Was fine.

 

[ivaldo]

Yeah. It was. As I said: he’s done pretty well to keep his arm strong as he was moving the other way.

Ziyech’s finish was piss poor, but where he ended up putting it there would have been an inquest if that had gone in.

Nah. It wasn't. You also said there's no way it's not routine. He's belted it from close range, DDG was moving in the other direction. It's not straight at him. As I said: that would be a goal plenty of times.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

Made a good save today but stayed on his line on Reese James' cross that luckily Lindelof got a toe to. Henderson would have cut that off...

 

[Remember the geese]

Dreadful kick in the first half and a good stop from Ziyech in the second. Definitely should have come for at least one cross late on though.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Nah. It wasn't. You also said there's no way it's not routine. He's belted it from close range, DDG was moving in the other direction. It's not straight at him. As I said: that would be a goal plenty of times.

Watch it again; it’s straight at him. He takes a step out of the way after Ziyech has shot, and then gets his hand up to make the save. It might be a goal plenty of times, but it would be piss poor goal keeping every time. It’s a decent save, no more.

 

[ivaldo]

Watch it again; it’s straight at him. He takes a step out of the way after Ziyech has shot, and then gets his hand up to make the save. It might be a goal plenty of times, but it would be piss poor goal keeping every time. It’s a decent save, no more.

Then it's not straight at him if he's sticking his arm out to save it as far as I'm concerned. If you agree it's a goal plenty of times, then it's hardly a routine save hey? I'm not saying it's a worldy, but he deserves credit for stopping it.

 

[kundalini]

Good performance. 6 saves, most of them straightforward, one decent save. One shocking clearance straight to Giroud.

 

[Dan_F]

Some of the passing in the second half was dire. That one that was supposed to go to Fred in the final 10 minutes, so dangerous. And not the risky, sweeper keeper kind, just terrible decision making and application.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Then it's not straight at him if he's sticking his arm out to save it as far as I'm concerned. If you agree it's a goal plenty of times, then it's hardly a routine save hey? I'm not saying it's a worldy, but he deserves credit for stopping it.

Ah, semantics! If De Gea hadn't got his hand back up I think we'd be describing it as 'diving out of the way', so it's straight at him for me. At any rate, it's a clean sheet and he's done the most important work that he had to do. That's the main thing.

 

[Dec9003]

Made some good saves today, played a poor ball out to I think Giroud but playing out from the back is never going to be his game, decent performance.

 

[ivaldo]

Ah, semantics! If De Gea hadn't got his hand back up I think we'd be describing it as 'diving out of the way', so it's straight at him for me. At any rate, it's a clean sheet and he's done the most important work that he had to do. That's the main thing.

He's pretty much on his near post, so if he wasn't moving to get back into the centre of the goal then we'd be questioning his positioning. Agreed there.

 

[arnie_ni]

Feels like at least once a game he gives it away in a dangerous area. One good save vs Ziyech, rest were standard.

Class save*

 

[SadlerMUFC]

Some of the passing in the second half was dire. That one that was supposed to go to Fred in the final 10 minutes, so dangerous. And not the risky, sweeper keeper kind, just terrible decision making and application.

I don't think that was supposed to go to Fred. I think he miskicked it. I think it was supposed to go to Shaw (I think) on the left wing. Either way, it was awful

 

[SadlerMUFC]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

This video shows all you need to know with De Gea.

And the thing is you could pick out multiple times of Deano coming for it and multiple times of De Gea waiting on his line

This teams biggest flaw is defending crosses and set pieces. David makes that problem worse. Deano makes it better.

Not saying Deano is the better keep but in this team he would help solve our biggest problem.

De Gea only collects balls that he has no choice to get. He needs to be more aggressive. You can't depend on your defenders to win 100% of crosses in and around your 6. Even today, on the ball that Reese James puts in for Werner that Lindelof gets a toe to was right on the edge of his box. He should be out for that. To start, he is already too deep to start. James is right footed. It's going to be an outswinger so he should be cheating a little. but he's sat back near his goal line. Time for Henderson to get a run. De Gea is a keeper who makes great saves but he is NOT a great keeper...

 

[Dan_F]

I don't think that was supposed to go to Fred. I think he miskicked it. I think it was supposed to go to Shaw (I think) on the left wing. Either way, it was awful

Yeah I would imagine so. It seems to be getting progressively worse. I know he’s being asked to make tougher passes than what was expected at the beginning of his career, but he’s making such a meal of it.

 

[predator]

Dodgy kicks will cost us eventually but his saves were good.

Dave is a united legend.

He's nearly been at the club for a decade. Then again so has Phil Jones. Don't they get testimonials? De gea must have played at least twice as many games for us as Jones.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

I know it's easy to say this but I don't believe Sir Alex would have stood by De Gea this long, you've got to be talking well into the double figures of high profile mistakes he's made that have costs us points over the last few years. He's also cost us in Europe and he also totally derailed our FA Cup semi final last season with two absolute howlers.

Potential is now gone, this is the finished article. His shot stopping ability is on the decline, his confidence is low and most of all above anything else he's not a brave enough keeper in my opinion.

He absolutely wouldn't have.

Fergie was ruthless when it came to keepers, we're getting on for 2 years now of De Gea being a liability. Fergie would have at least dropped him by now.

 

[The Oracle]

Overall I thought he performed well today.

The only hiccup he had was when he passed it straight out to a Chelsea player - who luckily shot way off target.

Goes to show when there is no pressure on a match like today, he performs well.

When there are pressure matches (chasing 1st spot, a semi-final, or a crucial Champions League game) he turns into one of (or a combination of):

- calamity Dave
- cowardly Dave
- frightened Dave
- pathetic Dave

Just like Martial, he isn't going anywhere.

 

[Davie Moyes]

De Gea only collects balls that he has no choice to get. He needs to be more aggressive. You can't depend on your defenders to win 100% of crosses in and around your 6. Even today, on the ball that Reese James puts in for Werner that Lindelof gets a toe to was right on the edge of his box. He should be out for that. To start, he is already too deep to start. James is right footed. It's going to be an outswinger so he should be cheating a little. but he's sat back near his goal line. Time for Henderson to get a run. De Gea is a keeper who makes great saves but he is NOT a great keeper...

Totally agree 100% with this whole post mate. I think I've read you previously say you play/have played in goal so your posts on DDG make sense.

If Werner had scored I would be blaming DDG.

Totally disagree with those saying he had a solid game, they don't understand goal keeping. Poor kicking, lack of command, control and aggression is not solid goal keeping.

I wonder if the highest paid keeper in the league is now the worst in the league?

 

[Davie Moyes]

He absolutely wouldn't have.

Fergie was ruthless when it came to keepers, we're getting on for 2 years now of De Gea being a liability. Fergie would have at least dropped him by now.

Absolutely would have ditched him by now. Well that's if he could not inspire great performances out of him first which I would also back the great man for.

 

[Based Adnan]

He absolutely wouldn't have.

Fergie was ruthless when it came to keepers, we're getting on for 2 years now of De Gea being a liability. Fergie would have at least dropped him by now.

The minute he demanded to choose his own goalkeeping coach Fergie would have had him out the door.

If that didn't do it then the minute he agreed a contract extension with the club only to then go back and ask for more money would have done it. This one even annoyed Jorge Mendes enough to drop him as a client.

 

[lex talionis]

Dodgy kicks will cost us eventually but his saves were good.

Dave is a united legend.

He's nearly been at the club for a decade. Then again so has Phil Jones. Don't they get testimonials? De gea must have played at least twice as many games for us as Jones.

David De Gea and Phil Jones should never be in the same sentence, except in a sentence that started they should never be in the same sentence.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

Totally agree 100% with this whole post mate. I think I've read you previously say you play/have played in goal so your posts on DDG make sense.

If Werner had scored I would be blaming DDG.

Totally disagree with those saying he had a solid game, they don't understand goal keeping. Poor kicking, lack of command, control and aggression is not solid goal keeping.

I wonder if the highest paid keeper in the league is now the worst in the league?

Yes, I played the position most of my life. I can see mistakes that most people can't and I have been pointing them out for ages. In the past I got laughed at for it and was accused of "thinking I'm better than De Gea". If I was better than De Gea, I wouldn't be online chatting with you lot. But just because I could never move like him doesn't mean I don't see his errors. And not the obvious ones. I've pointed them out several times before. De Gea isn't and never has been a great keeper. He is a keeper who makes great saves. He just doesn't make as many as he used to so while in the past he was able to win us some games, now he's being praised for not having "howlers". Sorry, but to be the #1 for this great club you have to do a lot more than "not be at fault for a goal". Time for a change...

 

[Grande]

Despite a terrible kick that might have cost us, he saved us today, him and the ref. Needs cred for that, as he gets the heat when it’s the other way round.