Manchester Unitedai??i??s Corner: David De Gea Or Anders Lindegaard ai??i?? Has Ferguson Decided On His Man Friday?

If there is a position in football thatai??i??s worth its weight in gold, surely itai??i??s the one between the posts, as United fans around the world would testify. All those years spent in agony and at times despair after the ai???Great Daneai??i?? left these shores seemingly never to be replaced. Sir Alex Ferguson, for all his phenomenal successes and unparalleled ability in eyeing outstanding talent, has over the years not had overwhelming success in finding the right fit for the highly scrutinized position of Manchester Unitedai??i??s no. 1. It is not a job for the faint hearted thatai??i??s for sure – you might have all the skill and prowess but it takes incredible amount of mental fortitude to succeed at the Theatre of Dreams.

Furthermore, the media witch hunt never ceases to die down, hoveringAi??like vultures over their prey waiting to pounce at every opportunity, waiting for their share of sardines perhaps. Many a big name have tried and came a cropper, none more so than the brilliant but exasperatingly eccentric Fabian Barthez. The Frenchmen was a ticking time bomb on most days, not the best of qualities required for a goalkeeper sadly.

Others, lesser luminaries than the World Cup winning Frenchmen have tried their luck too only to find the hot seat too blistering for their comfort. Tomasz Kuszczak, Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi, Andy Goram, Roy Carroll, Raimond Van Der Gouw, & Ricardo Lopez have all failed to match up to the expectations of a Man United Goal keeper, needless to say the fans have been edgy ever since the great Schemiechel hung up his boots.

Then the Flying Dutchman arrived like he was born to wear the United number 1. Van Der Saar finally solved the Schrodingerai??i??s paradox it seemed and Red Devils could finally take a sigh of relief with the Dutchman guarding the posts. Six years of calmness and absolute class followed as Edwin proved to be a god send. Ferguson finally cracked the jackpot with goal keepers as United went on to plunder trophies and accolades galore. But all good things come with an expiry date and sadly the Dutchman called it a day last season to the dismay and heartache of United fans around the globe.

(c)edwin van der sar_en.paperblog.com — Edwin Van Der Sar- United legend forever!

Once bitten twice shy, Ferguson had done his homework well this time and Danish International was signed in the winter transfer window to be the understudy of VDS. But there were constant murmurs around the Theatre of Dreams of another high-profile arrival to take over from the departing legend.

For once all the media conjecture actually bore fruit with the signing of Spainai??i??s Under 21 international, the highly rated David De Gea. A signing worth 18.5 million but priceless if it actually realized its undoubted talent. With two talented and world-class keepers in the United roster, the fans must have thought there was little room for panic. But panic is the middle name of most things United. Things do take the odd wrong turn before eventually working out, just like Unitedai??i??s football on the pitch at times.

David De Gea ai??i?? Mediaai??i??s Apple Of The Eye, Definitely Not!

The sharks were out in number and as early as the Community Shield and have never relented since in the case of the Spaniard. Like any new, young signing from a foreign land there has to be certain bedding in period. But David didnai??i??t have the luxury of that, of course. Playing for the Red Devils, more so than any other club in England,Ai??comes with certain cons along with the obvious pros.

Fergie, as he always does, decided to stick with his man despite the initial hiccups and why shouldnai??i??t he? De Gea looked to have reaffirmed the gaffersai??i?? trust in him by pulling in a series of good to brilliant performances and sealed any lingering doubts about his prowess as a keeper of the top drawer or as Jamie Redknapp would say ‘top top drawer’.

However, there is a learning curve for the young Spaniard and a steep one at that with the aerial nature of the game in England very unlike his native Spain. De Gea had a few iffy moments at home against Blackburn and looked to be shaken a bit. Ferguson decided to shield him from the line of fire especially with a very good deputy in the form of Lindegaard ready to fill in.

De Gea(c)daylife.com — De Gea - In the eye of the storm!

Ferguson has always maintained that De Gea is his number 1 and ai???there is no doubt about itai???.

‘De Gea is the long-term prospect; there is no question about that. Anders has done very well. He has provided tremendous opposition to David. But the potential of David is obviousai??i??

The Spaniard has always got the nod in big games be it City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or Spurs and that was a clear indication of Fergusonai??i??s mindset even though Lindegaard got his games in between.

Yet for the big Ai??away games recently – against Newcastle and the F.A. Cup derby at the Eastlands, Anders Lindegaard found himself donning the jersey. Questions were bound to arise and eyebrow were definitely raised, has Fergie had a change of heart?

Anders Lindegaard: Not Tested Enough, Yet!

As the media were busy pulling down the Spaniard at every opportunity, Lindegaard had a lot easier time with respect to expectations. It helped that the Dane hadnai??i??t arrived with a big price tag on his head acting like the sword of Damocles.

Furthermore, the Dane definitely got to feature in the easier of the games with home ties against the likes of Norwich and Wigan. At one point of time the Dane hadnai??i??t conceded in the League and kept five consecutive clean sheets. However the honeymoon period was soon over as Newcastle put three past a hapless Lindegaard at St Jamesai??i?? Park. Lindegaard couldnai??i??t be blamed for any of those goals but he did look a bit nervy and not his usual composed self, especially while collecting crosses.

(c)lindegaard_blogs.bettor.com — Lindegaard - Not here to just make up the numbers!

The weekendai??i??s big Manchester Derby saw his first real test and itai??i??s fair to say Anders didnai??i??t put his best foot forward and was definitely at fault for Cityai??i??s second goal. It wasnai??i??t the best of displays and fans confidence must have surely wavered a bit.

De Gea v Lindegaard: Whatai??i??s The Comparison Like?

David De Geaai??i??s qualities include his extraordinary shot stopping abilities with a penchant for unbelievable saves. He is young, athletic and especially brilliant in one-on-one situations, David has a big reputation of saving penalty kicks ever since his Athletico Madrid days. De Geaai??i??s distribution for a keeper is top-notch and a massive tick mark in his favor as United can look to build attacks from the back with the Spaniard between the posts.

The Spaniard has been known to be suspect from long-range efforts and the opposition did rip shots from all angles after the news became common knowledge. However, it wasnai??i??t successful at all. Perhaps the only chink in his armor seems to be his handling of the aerial balls when under pressure from opposition forwards.

Lindegaard on the other hand is great with the ball at his feet and never in a hurry to release it. He has an aura about him that exudes confidence and that resonates on his team mates. Lindegaard is also a great shot stopper and has already in his short time at United pulled a couple of blinders. Also working in the Daneai??i??s favor are his communication abilities, being well versed in the common language ai??i??English in this case certainly gives him the edge over his Spaniard counterpart.

Lindegaardai??i??s has looked the part in most games, but if it came down to nitpicking the Danes handling could be better as he has fumbled a few shots here and there. Although most of those minor glitches went unpunished and ergo unnoticed. Sergio Aguero unfortunately made the most of Lindegaardai??i??s generosity and made United pay in the much-anticipated Manchester derby.

The jury as they say is still out on both De Gea and Lindegaard with both facing a contrasting welcome to life in the English game and most importantly as a United player. Next few games could prove vital in deciding the fortunes of the two immensely talented goal keepers. Just as Lindegaard seemed to have stolen a march, it could be back to square one yet again.

Sir Alex surely has a dilemma on his hands, but the Scot thrives on challenges such as these. On their good days the duo offer the impression of giving the manager the problem of plenty, however there have been the odd, not so great days in between. The fans seemed to be divided as well, although most agree that De Gea will be the future of the club, at present some would rather gamble with Lindegaard at the moment. Nevertheless, the fans have come together and always backed the young Spaniard against the media circus that was in full force earlier in the season including the infamous doughnut fiasco.

More than half way into the season, we are no closer to deciding the first choice goal keeper for the season and the game of musical chairs shall continue till then. The position of Unitedai??i??s number one is out there crying for it be owned and as they say ai???If opportunity doesn’t knock, build an effing doorai???. Weai??i??ll all have to wait and watch who builds the fastest. Itai??i??s a dead heat at the moment and till we have a clear winner, fans will have to live in hope, fear and anxiety but that is what Man United is all about, never ever dull.

Manchester Unitedai??i??s Corner: David De Gea Or Anders Lindegaard ai??i?? Has Ferguson Decided On His Man Friday?

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