What's the thinking behind all United's goalkeepers?

cpresc

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Would De Gea have come in early for pre season training if we didn't have Henderson?

Look what Telles did for Shaw.

IMO it's a disgrace how many folks here dismiss De Gea - he was our only high performer during many dark post Fergie years and yet people on here want to cast him aside for the new shiny thing? And yet then ridicule other players for being greedy/disloyal etc?

Stand by the guy who's led by example for years upon years and support him during this patch, he's still young for a keeper.

Henderson is the challenger and should be earning the right to be Utd No. 1
 

Halftrack

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Its how United operate. We have Rashford, Martial, Amad, Pellestri, Greenwood, Sancho, Cavani, James, Lingard, Chong, Shoretire for the front 3 positions. Yes while some will be loaned/sold or are not ready its still 11 players but we still give Mata a new contract!!!????
???

Chong's already been loaned out, Lingard (if he stays) will mostly act as backup to Bruno, Shoretire is 17 and is mostly part of the squad for development reasons, and Mata's been kept on because he's a great guy who's probably a very good influence on the younger players (and would also mostly play in Bruno's stead.)

So we're down to 9 players for three positions, three of whom are young and unproven. Cavani's not exactly one for the future, and I reckon Martial will be out the door if he has another season like last one, so what's the issue exactly?
 

HerbT

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Fair points. I have no disagreement regarding your take on tactical option with Henderson.

I think mine and most other posters main concern is paying the 4th choice PL level GK unnecessarily. Could hahve sold Romero for pennies. Better than paying him, and "punishing" him for no reason.
I like Romero.
I think that, despite how good he was, back in the day, DeGea has to go.
Bite the bullet, pay him off no matter what the cost - send out a big message. Thank
Keep Henderson between the sticks so that the squad can experience playing a high line, albeit without the very best keeper behind them.
Then, when opportunity arises, bring in a top No.1 with the attributes necessary for the modern game.
Sell Henderson and keep Romero as back up and give him the domestic cup games, he’s perhaps the best back up in the PL and if your No.1 sprains a wrist then he can step up and prove that he’s the man.
 

Samid

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So we've got half a trillion goalkeepers in the squad and instead of using those we've started converting outfield players into goalies...
 

padzilla

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What is even worse is not one of them is good enough. Classic mismanagement again from us.
 

Andersons Dietician

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New rule being brought in where if you shout “any mans save” in the 18 yarder and you become goalie, so with that a new formation of 3-2-3-3
 

POF

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Henderson is #1, Heaton #2, Grant #3.

De Gea isn't wanted by United any more. Unfortunately, he's not wanted by anyone else either.
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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Henderson is #1, Heaton #2, Grant #3.

De Gea isn't wanted by United any more. Unfortunately, he's not wanted by anyone else either.
As much as I’d like that to be the case, De Gea will be number 2, due to his wages, and will expect to play in Europe / cups
 

POF

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As much as I’d like that to be the case, De Gea will be number 2, due to his wages, and will expect to play in Europe / cups
He's this summer's Alexis Sanchez. They need to find someone to take him, even on heavily subsidised wages. Where's Conte these days?
 

Andycoleno9

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Arsenal want to pay 32 mil for Ramsdale. We can easily get 40-45 for Henderson.
Keeping DDG or Hendo on the bench would be just stupid. One has huge wage, for other we can get huge money.
Not to mention that gk must have clear head and be without pressure. If they both stay, both will play with huge amount of pressure by knowing that one mistake=bench.
 

The Cluck

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In all my life supporting United, there has been a single occurrence of our top two keepers being off at the same time, when De Gea and Lindegard were injured, and the third keeper (was it Sam Johnstone or someone else) had to play for a single match. So it happened once in 20 years.

All three keepers getting off at the same time is virtually unheard of. It is such an impossible scenario, that is not worthy of discussing.
Maybe my memory stretches back further, but other examples I can think of are an inexperienced Kevin Pilkington needing to play multiple times in 95/96 because Peter Schmeichel and Tony Coton were both injured, Andy Goram (!) being signed on a short-term contract in 00/01 because Barthez and van der Gouw were both injured, and Ben Foster playing in 2008 because Van der Sar and Kuszczak were both unavailable. Nick Culkin holds the record for the shortest Premier League debut ever, when he replaced van der Gouw at the end of a game against Arsenal after being named on the bench because Bosnich wasn't available. Van der Gouw's injury luckily wasn't serious, but if it had been (even a few games out), Culkin would have needed to play a few games, with an even more inexperienced goalkeeper on the bench. It does happen.
 

The Cluck

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Would De Gea have come in early for pre season training if we didn't have Henderson?

Look what Telles did for Shaw.
That would be ideal, if the competition got De Gea to return to the levels he was at before. Fingers crossed that it does happen.

IMO it's a disgrace how many folks here dismiss De Gea - he was our only high performer during many dark post Fergie years and yet people on here want to cast him aside for the new shiny thing? And yet then ridicule other players for being greedy/disloyal etc?

Stand by the guy who's led by example for years upon years and support him during this patch, he's still young for a keeper.
Agreed. I remember Giggs getting booed off the pitch in 2003 by sections of the Old Trafford 'support', after a very poor run of form (for him). If someone like Giggs isn't immune to being castigated, I guess nobody is.
 

rotherham_red

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I don't get what Ole and the club are thinking here, you had 3 first team keepers at the end of last season and then added Heaton this summer while Henderson and DDG are still battling it out for the number one spot, but it doesn't look like any of them are leaving or ever had any intentions of leaving.

Henderson: Apparently (according to the Athletic) Wolves made an enquiry for him and were rebuffed immediately, so it seems there s no intention to sell.
DDG: With the wages he is on, PSG was the only realistic option for him, but now Donnarumma has gone there, that rules that move out and apparently (again according to the Athletic, DDG's partner and daughter are in Manchester looking to relocate to the city.
Heaton signed for 2 years and Grant has just signed on for another season.

So with Romero finally leaving and the club bringing the numbers down to 3 keepers, why bring in a new keeper?
I don't get what Ole and the club are thinking here, you had 3 first team keepers at the end of last season and then added Heaton this summer while Henderson and DDG are still battling it out for the number one spot, but it doesn't look like any of them are leaving or ever had any intentions of leaving.

Henderson: Apparently (according to the Athletic) Wolves made an enquiry for him and were rebuffed immediately, so it seems there s no intention to sell.
DDG: With the wages he is on, PSG was the only realistic option for him, but now Donnarumma has gone there, that rules that move out and apparently (again according to the Athletic, DDG's partner and daughter are in Manchester looking to relocate to the city.
Heaton signed for 2 years and Grant has just signed on for another season.

So with Romero finally leaving and the club bringing the numbers down to 3 keepers, why bring in a new keeper?
I think the original plan was for Henderson to have one more season out on loan last season, and to then come in and compete for the number 1 spot this season, meaning that DDG would have had 3 seasons or so of being the undisputed number 1 while he is here under the terms of that massive contract he's on. That sort of planning made sense.

However, the strength of Henderson's performances for Sheffield Utd and DDG's decline towards the end of that season meant that we had to shelve that and give Henderson a big contract as well.

Heaton has come in because I think the club anticipated DDG leaving after the end of last season. However, the Donnarumma move to PSG caught everyone off-guard, and it now looks like he'll be here for this season as well. Heaton is a good, strong keeper and can be trusted to come in and hold the fort if Henderson and DDG don't maintain their standards.

Grant, I think was not originally in the plan for this year. The club were in discussions with him before abruptly calling them off, which peeved Grant. The fact he ultimately signed up, even after Heaton has come in, suggests to me that we should see him as an extension of the coaching, rather than playing, staff. He won't see the pitch unless we have a freak injury crisis.

I think what's going to end up happening is DDG moves on after this season and the keeping situation resolves itself. Grant will likely be gone and replaced by Kovar, or we buy someone else in as more experienced cover.
 

Revan

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Maybe my memory stretches back further, but other examples I can think of are an inexperienced Kevin Pilkington needing to play multiple times in 95/96 because Peter Schmeichel and Tony Coton were both injured, Andy Goram (!) being signed on a short-term contract in 00/01 because Barthez and van der Gouw were both injured, and Ben Foster playing in 2008 because Van der Sar and Kuszczak were both unavailable. Nick Culkin holds the record for the shortest Premier League debut ever, when he replaced van der Gouw at the end of a game against Arsenal after being named on the bench because Bosnich wasn't available. Van der Gouw's injury luckily wasn't serious, but if it had been (even a few games out), Culkin would have needed to play a few games, with an even more inexperienced goalkeeper on the bench. It does happen.
First two cases are before my time. Foster I believe was already supposed to be No. 2 (and there was hope that he can push VDS) a bit similar to Henderson last year (though he miserably failed).
 

Kingantti1874

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I still cannot believe Joel Perreira was actually on the books with utd. Easily the worse professional goalkeeper I’ve seen in my life, a complete imposter. No doubt in my mind that Mourinho was going someone a favour at Utd’s expense
 

dalriada

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I still cannot believe Joel Perreira was actually on the books with utd. Easily the worse professional goalkeeper I’ve seen in my life, a complete imposter. No doubt in my mind that Mourinho was going someone a favour at Utd’s expense
I was pretty certain Jose favoured Pereira (as #3 at the time) because he's Portuguese. As soon as Jose was gone, he vanished without trace.
 

crossy1686

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Solskjaer himself has said that the GK situation is unsustainable this season as both De Gea and Henderson need to play on a regular basis. Will be interesting to see who goes but I think we'll be in for Oblak next summer anyway regardless.