[Redfan94]

So many times tonight the ball went back to De Gea, he chose the easy pass to either Dalot/AWB, Shaw/Malacia or one of the two CB’s while Casemiro had scanned to see our wide players and was open to receive the ball in the middle of Martinez and Varane to get us going forward.

The top teams playing out from the back always favour that pass as opposed to a ball out to either fullbacks which invites pressure.

 

[Olecurls99]

It's kind of ironic. This is possibly the worst passing I've seen from De Gea in a single game and it perfectly illustrates why some people want him gone. And yet none of his mistakes, even when the opponent got a luck deflection, ended up in the back of the net. It goes to show how little distribution means when you look at the big picture.

I cannot prove this, but I'm sure that De Gea's poor distribution practically gives the opponent zero goals, because he knows his limitations for the most part. Meanwhile, keepers like Alisson and Ederson who are confident in their abilities seem to make a few feck ups every season. I'm sure that they have far greater success with their passing overall, but it also comes at a price.

Don't do it my friend. You're inviting a world of pain

 

[thomas porter]

I hate to say it because he's a club legend but we should not offer him a new contract and let him compete with a new #1 keeper we bring in that fits the build from the back system eth wants to implement. As is he's very clearly a square peg in a round hole.

 

[RussellWilson]

Tweet

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Heaton could do better.

 

[Lay]

I hate to say it because he's a club legend but we should not offer him a new contract and let him compete with a new #1 keeper we bring in that fits the build from the back system eth wants to implement. As is he's very clearly a square peg in a round hole.

Club legend? No.

 

[Lights Out]

I can’t wait until he’s replaced. After a striker, it’s the second signing I’m hoping for in the summer.

 

[Scandi Red]

Don't do it my friend. You're inviting a world of pain

I'll die on this hill in the goalkeeper debate!

De Gea was extremely poor today. I will not argue against that. However, if he had been forced to make one or two difficult saves that few keepers would be able to pull off, then that would instantly have made his game a good one. I value saves that much more than passing. But today he wasn't really tested, so all we have left is the passing. And that was undeniably shite.

 

[Borys]

What the hell was that. Those last two games he's been extremely unlucky but he has zero composure for a senior player.



What is actually happening to him? His passing was never that bad. I really fear he's declining rapidly, don't see any point in keeping him for next season even as a backup. I can't imagine him playing every 5th game or so.

 

[Plant0x84]

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Heaton could do better.

Don’t be ridiculous. Heaton is nowhere near him. It’s the Hendo argument again.

 

[BerryBerryShrew]

I'll die on this hill in the goalkeeper debate!

De Gea was extremely poor today. I will not argue against that. However, if he had been forced to make one or two difficult saves that few keepers would be able to pull off, then that would instantly have made his game a good one. I value saves that much more than passing. But today he wasn't really tested, so all we have left is the passing. And that was undeniably shite.

Isn't his shot stopping ability a bit of a myth at this stage though? He had a few seasons under LvG/Mourinho where he was clearly the best shot stopper in the game but stats that I've seen for the last few years show that he is pretty average for a PL keeper in that regard and even then it is still his only reasonable attribute (I can't be bothered to dig them up but I'm sure someone has posted them in this thread somewhere).

 

[Lights Out]

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Heaton could do better.

That’s shocking.

It’s at the stage now where passing back to him should be an absolute last resort.

 

[Redfan94]

What the hell was that. Those last two games he's been extremely unlucky but he has zero composure for a senior player.



What is actually happening to him? His passing was never that bad. I really fear he's declining rapidly, don't see any point in keeping him for next season even as a backup. I can't imagine him playing every 5th game or so.

He’s never been expected to be this involved in the build up as he has under Ten Hag, he’s no longer expected to hoof it long and the defence are looking to play out from the back more than we have under previous managers.

Nobody’s expecting him to play defence splitting passes like Edison or Alison, but he can’t make 10-15 yard passes under little to no pressure.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

There are other concerns that we need to address more urgently, like a striker, but I really do think we need a new keeper as well.

He's appalling with the ball at his feet, that's now 2 games running in the Europa League he's passed it straight to the opposition and we've just about got away with it. We won't keep getting away with it.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

It's kind of ironic. This is possibly the worst passing I've seen from De Gea in a single game and it perfectly illustrates why some people want him gone. And yet none of his mistakes, even when the opponent got a luck deflection, ended up in the back of the net. It goes to show how little distribution means when you look at the big picture.

I cannot prove this, but I'm sure that De Gea's poor distribution practically gives the opponent zero goals, because he knows his limitations for the most part. Meanwhile, keepers like Alisson and Ederson who are confident in their abilities seem to make a few feck ups every season. I'm sure that they have far greater success with their passing overall, but it also comes at a price.

You can't be serious with this post. This is a wind up

 

[Parma Dewol]

The defence has improved dramatically in possession with Varane, Martinez, Dalot and Shaw looking so comfortable on the ball. They can all control and distribute under pressure, making building from the back a possibility.

De Gea, sadly, is the one remaining weak link. He has some great attributes, but I’m convinced a keeper with excellent distribution would do wonders in ETH’s system.

 

[Malone_Post]

That’s shocking.

It’s at the stage now where passing back to him should be an absolute last resort.

The players were either instructed, or decided, not to as much as possible in the second half. Either way, it’s a damning indictment of his ability.

He just has to be replaced in the summer. We’re never going to be able to consistently control games with a keeper that is so bad on the ball.
It’s so difficult to build momentum and control when your keeper keeps giving it straight back to the opposition.

 

[V.O.]

Tweet

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Heaton could do better.

Is that... a Dean Henderson fanboy account?

Just when you think you've seen fecking everything

 

[lex talionis]

The woebegone pass was an outrage, worthy of a quick flog, no question about it. Maybe he could have done better on the one goal that we conceded but I doubt we could count more than two keepers on the planet who could have made that save.

 

[SuperiorXI]

The 7-0 clearly followed him into this game. His distribution is shite but it's not THAT shite.

 

[RussellWilson]

Is that... a Dean Henderson fanboy account?

Just when you think you've seen fecking everything

He has a weird little cult on twitter.

We really are spoilt with crap keepers.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

The players were either instructed, or decided, not to as much as possible in the second half. Either way, it’s a damning indictment of his ability.

He just has to be replaced in the summer. We’re never going to be able to consistently control games with a keeper that is so bad on the ball.
It’s so difficult to build momentum and control when your keeper keeps giving it straight back to the opposition.

Yep. We'll roll into another big time high intensity game against City or Liverpool and have people wondering why we don't control games more, and he'll be one of the main reasons yet again.

But he'll have a cool highlight save after giving the ball away and #DAVESAVES will be plastered everywhere again

 

[AltiUn]

His passing is giving me heart attacks lately.

 

[Wilt]

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Fecks sake he makes it worse than playing with 10 men

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

The 7-0 clearly followed him into this game. His distribution is shite but it's not THAT shite.

He did the same thing vs Barcelona though.

 

[SuperiorXI]

He did the same thing vs Barcelona though.

It didn't seem like as many howlers. In this game it was mistake after mistake in the first half, like everything he touched turned to shit.

 

[sugar_kane]

Not to go all Jurgen Klopp but after a point I was wondering if the wind was a factor in his terrible distribution tonight, it was howling out there.

He’s bad, but never seen him that bad.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

It didn't seem like as many howlers. In this game it was mistake after mistake in the first half, like everything he touched turned to shit.

Aye he was particularly bad tonight but in the Barcelona game he did almost cost us the tie by passing it straight to a Barcelona player on the edge of our box. Took a miracle block by Casemiro to save us.

He seems easily rattled .

 

[AndyMUFC]

His distribution ws particularly bad tonight, but it is true that there seems to be at least one of these moments nearly every game at the moment. As great a shot stopper as he is, the argument about his passing out in a side that wants to play like we do does hold some weight.

 

[Max_United]

Isn't his shot stopping ability a bit of a myth at this stage though? He had a few seasons under LvG/Mourinho where he was clearly the best shot stopper in the game but stats that I've seen for the last few years show that he is pretty average for a PL keeper in that regard and even then it is still his only reasonable attribute (I can't be bothered to dig them up but I'm sure someone has posted them in this thread somewhere).

It is. Any average and above PL goalkeeper has a similar collection of his "impossible" saves. He makes some great saves but not that much and he lets in some shots that you would expect top/above average PL goalkeeper to save. This is in contrast to 5-6 years ago when he was really making outstanding saves (that few - even top - goalies could make) regularly and was undisputably one of the best shot stoppers in the world, if not the best.

He really lives on his past reputation in the minds of some people and they use any half-decent save as a "proof that he is still great/stats are useless I see with my eyes that he is still great". They also somehow act as if an average PL goalkeeper never makes good saves and lets in everything so that DDG is great in comparison. It reminds me of the debates on Rooney and Ronaldo on their declines. But the stats and the eye test with at least a modicum of objectivity show a very clear picture.

I really love him for what he has done for us, but it is perfect time to let go - unless he is willing to stay as a backup/competition to new goalkeeper and have his salary reduced by 3-4 fold. I do not think he could really improve at the aspects he is lacking in, and his shot stopping is only going to get worse over time as his reflexes worsen. Would love to be proven completely wrong, of course.

 

[VeevaVee]

Not to go all Jurgen Klopp but after a point I was wondering if the wind was a factor in his terrible distribution tonight, it was howling out there.

He’s bad, but never seen him that bad.

Could be a shout. The corner flag on the end he made most of his terrible passes tonight was almost touching the pitch at some points. The snow was also noticeably wilder on that side from the wind going nuts.

But yeah, no excuses really..his distribution was awful tonight.

 

[jem]

I usually defend him but that was diabolical.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

The wind didn’t help but his shittiest pass of all was along the ground.

 

[caid]

I'll die on this hill in the goalkeeper debate!

De Gea was extremely poor today. I will not argue against that. However, if he had been forced to make one or two difficult saves that few keepers would be able to pull off, then that would instantly have made his game a good one. I value saves that much more than passing. But today he wasn't really tested, so all we have left is the passing. And that was undeniably shite.

He was tested though. They scored remember. A lot of shots go in against him.

 

[calodo2003]

His passing is giving me heart attacks lately.

Angina FC for me when it gets passed back to him while we are being pressed.

 

[The White Pele]

Seems to have a brain fart once per game at the moment when trying to play out. It will be costly if it continues

 

[sullydnl]

I know some people have an antipathy towards statistics, but the fact that there isn't a single performance-related statistic I can think of in which he fares well should be a massive red flag even for them.

 

[JagUTD]

I know some people have an antipathy towards statistics, but the fact that there isn't a single performance-related statistic I can think of in which he fares well should be a red flag even for them.

What about the one where he's currently 3rd in the clean sheet table, above the converted ball playing keepers like Ederson and Allison?

Also having his best season since 17/18 in terms of shut outs and we've still got quite a few games left, could actually be on for his best ever.

 

[Lost bear]

What the hell was that. Those last two games he's been extremely unlucky but he has zero composure for a senior player.



What is actually happening to him? His passing was never that bad. I really fear he's declining rapidly, don't see any point in keeping him for next season even as a backup. I can't imagine him playing every 5th game or so.

I’ve always rated de Gea, but tonight’s passing really was at a new low. I’m actually worried about the man- I’ve noticed him several times this season , especially recently, pulling strange facial expressions and blinking really heavily, almost as though he has some kind of eyesight problems. I’m not kidding or trying to be nasty to David, but I’m wondering if he has some kind of nervous condition. Perhaps I’m wrong, indeed I hope so. Anyone else noticed this at all?

 

[CM]

I'm finding it difficult not to actively dislike David de Gea at this point. He's somehow managing to feck up some of the most basic passes, under zero pressure, in every game right now. Sometimes more than once per match. He needs to get a grip of himself.

 

[AltiUn]

Angina FC for me when it gets passed back to him while we are being pressed.

He’s obviously a tremendous keeper and has proved that many a time over the last 10 years but feck me is he shite with the ball at his feet, he almost offers a free pass to the opposition with every kick at the moment.