Manchester United crashed out of the UEFA Europa League after a 3-0 defeat to Sevilla, with David de Gea one of the culprits.
Sevilla picked up a comprehensive win at home to dump Manchester United out of UEFA Europa League. And the performance of David de Gea has attracted a lot of criticism from Manchester United legend Paul Scholes (h/t Daily Mail).
The Spanish goalkeeper was directly responsible for all three goals Manchester United conceded on the night and Scholes has questioned his ability to play out of the back. The 32-year-old has always been a world-class shot-stopper, but his composure and ability on the ball have always left a lot to be desired.
“You have to question the goalkeeper, especially tonight. Erik ten Hag, eventually, will want to play out from the back. David de Gea has been a fantastic goalkeeper, but he is not a fantastic footballer. We saw the pass he played into Harry Maguire.”
“Look, it’s not a bad pass and I know that Harry Maguire wanted it, but you have to read the situation, read what’s going on in the stadium and it is not a place [to do it]. Harry Maguire wants the ball and I don’t know why he wants the ball. As I said before, there is only one centre-half in world football who is good receiving the ball with his back to play.:
“Regardless of whether the manager wants him to play, read the situation. He needed to read what was going on. You have to read the situation and what’s happening. At Manchester City, Pep [Guardiola] would probably say “Go on, hit it up high”. They fell into the trap of playing those passes and Sevilla were aggressive in getting to the ball. I think he was making the whole team nervous! It’s a question of: does he fit Erik ten Hag’s philosophy?”
Erik ten Hag prefers goalkeepers with excellent distribution skills, and it will be interesting to see how de Gea’s performance affects his future at the club now. The 32-year-old is expected to renew his contract with the Red Devils soon. His current deal expires at the end of the season.
While there is no doubt that the 32-year-old is a key member of the Manchester United first team, the Red Devils must look to bring him a goalkeeper who is more in sync with ten Hag’s philosophy.
The Dutchman prefers to play out of the back and needs a goalkeeper who can execute his style of football. De Gea could be a useful squad player for Manchester United. But he is clearly not the ideal fit for their current style of play.
The Spanish goalkeeper is expected to take a pay cut in order to extend his stay at Manchester United beyond this season. It will be interesting to see if he can work on his distribution skills over the next few months and establish himself as a regular starter for Manchester United next season.
The 32-year-old has been a phenomenal performer for Manchester United, helping them win multiple trophies. The Spaniard has racked up more than 500 appearances for the club, and he is undoubtedly a club legend. But Scholes believes that the first-choice goalkeeper is no longer suitable for the way Manchester United want to play. So it remains to be seen how his situation unfolds.
