No.1 for next season - De Gea or Henderson?

No.1 for next season

  • De Gea

    Votes: 264 37.0%
  • Henderson

    Votes: 309 43.3%
  • Someone else

    Votes: 99 13.9%
  • Play both

    Votes: 42 5.9%

  • Total voters
    714

MadDogg

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I'm more and more convinced that if we sell De Gea, we'll back in this thread next year saying we need a new number 1. Henderson has fundamental technical issues that IMO means he will never reach De Gea's best level. Which is the calibre of player that should be United number 1.
That's a definite possibility. In fact I think it's more likely than Henderson actually grabbing the spot and becoming out long term #1.

However the thing is that the chance of Henderson stepping up and claiming that role properly is higher than De Gea doing so. De Gea simply isn't good enough anymore. He's had three seasons of average to downright poor performances which has cost us time and time again. His atrocious finish to the season was the main reason we didn't make the top four in 18/19. In 19/20 he cost us in one or two of the semi-final losses (let in two poor goals in the FA Cup semi and arguably could have done better for the second goal in the Europa League semi). His cowardice (I hate using that word but there's no other way to describe his effort for Leipzig's third goal) knocked us out of the CL this season, and then he did the identical thing a month or two later in the league. I don't want to 'blame' him for our loss in the Europa final but he barely seemed to even try to save half the opposition penalties. That's just the big goals that have directly cost us and knocked us out of competitions, not even mentioning the goals that we concede because he refuses to come out for crosses or put himself in positions he might get clattered.

Henderson probably isn't going to be the answer but De Gea definitely isn't. So we should give Henderson the season to show what he can do, install him as definite #1 so he can settle and play his natural game without having to look over his shoulder (goalkeeper is the one position where competition for the spot doesn't tend to work well). Then if he hasn't stepped up we can look to buy somebody to come in and command that spot next season.
 
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hobbers

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Thing is if we can't sell De Gea there's no point in letting Henderson be number one. It's not financially viable to have a technically superior keeper on the bench at the cost of £375k a week.

If De Gea is saleable then fine. Give Henderson a proper go this season even though he doesn't really look good enough, because whether he defies expectation or not, at least we won't be paying half a million a week on the goalkeepers in the process of finding out.
 

GueRed

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starting to remind me of that three-way then two-way battle between Bosnich, Van Der Gouw and Taibi during the 1999/2000 season.
 

Bastian

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We're going to go into next season with a #1 who is not good enough, aren't we?
 

sullydnl

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We're going to go into next season with a #1 who is not good enough, aren't we?
Suppose that depends on what "good enough" means.

I wonder when the last time a goalkeeper at De Gea/Henderson level or below won the league? How good does your goalkeeper have to be at that level?
 

Jibbs

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That's a definite possibility. In fact I think it's more likely than Henderson actually grabbing the spot and becoming out long term #1.

However the thing is that the chance of Henderson stepping up and claiming that role properly is higher than De Gea doing so. De Gea simply isn't good enough anymore. He's had three seasons of average to downright poor performances which has cost us time and time again. His atrocious finish to the season was the main reason we didn't make the top four in 18/19. In 19/20 he cost us in one or two of the semi-final losses (let in two poor goals in the FA Cup semi and arguably could have done better for the second goal in the Europa League semi). His cowardice (I hate using that word but there's no other way to describe his effort for Leipzig's third goal) knocked us out of the CL this season, and then he did the identical thing a month or two later in the league. I don't want to 'blame' him for our loss in the Europa final but he barely seemed to even try to save half the opposition penalties. That's just the big goals that have directly cost us and knocked us out of competitions, not even mentioning the goals that we concede because he refuses to come out for crosses or put himself in positions he might get clattered.

Henderson probably isn't going to be the answer but De Gea definitely isn't. So we should give Henderson the season to show what he can do, install him as definite #1 so he can settle and play his natural game without having to look over his shoulder (goalkeeper is the one position where competition for the spot doesn't tend to work well). Then if he hasn't stepped up we can look to buy somebody to come in and command that spot next season.
Everyone should blame him. Any other half decent professional club would have gotten rid of him long ago, not rewarded him by making him the highest paid player in EPL. This is plain robbery to be honest. 18 m an year for howlers after howlers.
Look at Chelsea, they did not think twice before benching the highest transfer in their history. Did not think twice before sacking arguably their greatest ever player because it was not working out with him as manager.
The way United works, it makes soviet era bureaucracy look professional.
 

MadDogg

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We're going to go into next season with a #1 who is not good enough, aren't we?
We've done that the last three seasons. Maybe harsh on the first one as we had no idea De Gea was about to decline so much, but that's the way it turned out. If Henderson is our #1 it may be a fourth season in a row, or he might take the step up. Unless we have the money available to go for a sure-thing top keeper on top of everything else we need, it's the best option.
 

Bastian

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Suppose that depends on what "good enough" means.

I wonder when the last time a goalkeeper at De Gea/Henderson level or below won the league? How good does your goalkeeper have to be at that level?
I don't know. I'm partial to Dave, but I cannot deny that he's declined considerably and he doesn't really suit the playing out from the back style of play or playing with a high line where he needs to come off his line quite a bit. Henderson is a lot more commanding and mobile off his line, taking risks when he needs to (and probably when he doesn't). But he's not tall, not physical, and nor is he super athletic like Dave used to be. I suspect he'll be given the #1 spot for the start of the season, but I'm not expecting him to become as good as he intends to be.

If we were to sign a new keeper, now or next summer, I'd want a keeper who commands his area with the physicality to do so. But he'll also need to be good with his feet and composed under pressure.

Not really thinking about winning the league, just thinking about what makes the team more balanced and effective.
 

Bastian

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We've done that the last three seasons. Maybe harsh on the first one as we had no idea De Gea was about to decline so much, but that's the way it turned out. If Henderson is our #1 it may be a fourth season in a row, or he might take the step up. Unless we have the money available to go for a sure-thing top keeper on top of everything else we need, it's the best option.
Yeah, I don't know who is out there that fits the criteria, and as you mention, we've got a host of issues to address. But Henderson would actually fetch a decent fee I'd assume, and if someone takes de Gea for a fee that effectively goes back into subsidising half his wages, we'd both have cleared up money from the wage bill and pocketed a fee for Henderson, so theoretically, it's plausible.

When Barca were linked to Donnarumma I was a bit surprised as ter Stegen is excellent. But they quickly moved to quell those rumours. Oblak is not really that sweeper keeper either and he certainly won't come cheap.

How good is Onana? His suspension got cut down to 9 months.
 

-Supreme-

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It appears PSG are getting Donnarumma now and my only hope for De Gea moving away has gone.

We're heading into the season with two goalkeepers that are potentially not good enough for us and earns a combined wage of half a million pound a week - this is nearly as insane as offering Phil Jones a contract extension!
 

Ali Dia

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It appears PSG are getting Donnarumma now and my only hope for De Gea moving away has gone.

We're heading into the season with two goalkeepers that are potentially not good enough for us and earns a combined wage of half a million pound a week - this is nearly as insane as offering Phil Jones a contract extension!
It’s all just a very expensive game of trial and error isn’t it?
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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I understand that Henderson will start next season as our number one keeper, with £375k a week De Gea as back up.
 

Cee90

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Not sure if I’m really sold on either of them at this moment in time to be honest.
 

Matriac

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Keep De Gea as #1 for another 2 seasons while his contract runs out, possibly even use the extension if he picks up a bit more form.

If Henderson is willing send him out on loan again, possibly abroad. If not sell him, put in a buyback if possible as insurance.

But aim to find the next Donnarumma-like talent that appears before De Gea's contract runs out, to come in as backup to De Gea or then Henderson while the youngster develops.


Henderson is the only of the two who can be shifted at the moment, and De Gea still has enough skill and popularity in the dressing room that it isn't worth to pay out his contract like we did with Sanchez.
 

dinostar77

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Isnt henderson injured? Will he be fit for start of season. De gea for me all the way as no1
 

wise_old_man

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Keep De Gea as #1 for another 2 seasons while his contract runs out, possibly even use the extension if he picks up a bit more form.

If Henderson is willing send him out on loan again, possibly abroad. If not sell him, put in a buyback if possible as insurance.

But aim to find the next Donnarumma-like talent that appears before De Gea's contract runs out, to come in as backup to De Gea or then Henderson while the youngster develops.


Henderson is the only of the two who can be shifted at the moment, and De Gea still has enough skill and popularity in the dressing room that it isn't worth to pay out his contract like we did with Sanchez.
You want us to find the next Donnarumma after we have let the original Donnarumma come to PSG for free without putting up a fight?
 

Tallis

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Sell Henderson but include a buy back ? I am not sure if Ole regards Henderson higher than DDG and besides DDG is impossible to move on. The above seems to be the only solution or maintaining the status quo which is quite expensive.
 

vanrooney

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i really like de gea but his time is over and henderson is good enough imo to establish himself as our no1 for the next decade. its time to get de gea of the wage bill. on a side note - we would have won the pen shootout with henderson in goal. that was too much a gamble of ole.
 

manuchamp88

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It appears PSG are getting Donnarumma now and my only hope for De Gea moving away has gone.

We're heading into the season with two goalkeepers that are potentially not good enough for us and earns a combined wage of half a million pound a week - this is nearly as insane as offering Phil Jones a contract extension!
We'll have to hope one of the Italian clubs buys him - or maybe on a 1 year loan with an obligation to buy?
 

Matriac

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You want us to find the next Donnarumma after we have let the original Donnarumma come to PSG for free without putting up a fight?
Yes, cause we have De Gea and Henderson on our books right now. And we have other areas more pressing to fix right now than the keeper.
(Also we have no idea if we did inquire with Donnarumma or not.)
If we had gotten Donnarumma now and managed to sell Henderson at the same time, we would still have the "problem" of De Gea and his contract.

Our current options are good enough for the time being for another 2-4 seasons while we fix other areas (or longer if Hendo kicks it up another few gears, but I don't think he will).
 

-Supreme-

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We'll have to hope one of the Italian clubs buys him - or maybe on a 1 year loan with an obligation to buy?
He will either have to take a pay cut or we contribute to his salary like Sanchez's loan deal.

I'd be surprised if we keep both this season given we have signed Tom Heaton and extended Lee Grant's contract.
 

manuchamp88

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He will either have to take a pay cut or we contribute to his salary like Sanchez's loan deal.

I'd be surprised if we keep both this season given we have signed Tom Heaton and extended Lee Grant's contract.
I think you're right, to be honest.
 

Kaos

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I'd go with Hendo as our no.1 and DDG as backup. If the latter still has any ambition left he'd take a paycut elsewhere, otherwise he'd struggle even being Spain's backup at this point.
 

SirAnderson

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This seriously not getting sorted then? Barely any noise at all about De Gea leaving as most expected.
Based on his interview with ESPN, looks like he expects them to fight it out and this season will determine who will be No1. Not ideal at all, and may be some roller-coaster performances over the season in between the sticks.
 

Infra-red

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A ruthless Sir Alex would have sold both and brought Donnarumma in.
That's what I was advocating for (even though it would have meant giving Raiola a €15m bung).

I don't think either of them are good enough (assuming our aspirations are more than just top 4 and last 16 of the CL every season).
 

hobbers

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Ole isn't brave enough to make a definitive call and he's accidentally right not to because neither of them are good enough to be our long term number 1.