sport news De Gea's clanger could have consequences as Ten Hag eyes a keeper who can play ... trends now
The last of the players to file solemnly and silently out of Manchester United’s dressing room at Wembley and on to the team bus on Saturday evening was Raphael Varane. Then the doors swung shut and this team left together for the final time.
Phase one of Erik ten Hag’s rebuild at United is over and it has gone better than many expected. But changes are coming.
United may look a little different when they begin pre-season against Lyon at Murrayfield next month, and most certainly by the time they kick off Ten Hag’s second season in August.
Even if they had somehow found a way to throw a spanner in the works of this Manchester City machine, the Dutchman would have pressed on with his plans to take United to the next level. The biggest talking point in the wake of a painful Cup final defeat was his goalkeeper David de Gea.
If you could forgive De Gea for not moving for Ilkay Gundogan’s first goal, his slow reaction for the German’s second was harder to excuse. The Spaniard won this season’s Premier League Golden Glove award, but there has been plenty of criticism to go with it.
David De Gea put in a poor display in the FA Cup final against Man City as United lost 2-1
Erik ten Hag has several decisions to make this summer as he continues to reshape his squad
Once again at Wembley, his distribution was erratic — certainly in comparison to Stefan Ortega, City’s second-choice keeper who conceded his first goal in six FA Cup ties this season when Bruno Fernandes equalised from the penalty spot. Having a keeper who can play out from the back is central to Ten Hag’s philosophy, just as it is to Pep Guardiola’s. It was one of the reasons Guardiola made the bold decision to jettison Joe Hart when he took over at City in 2016.
De Gea is on the verge of signing a new contract. The 32-year-old has agreed terms but it has yet to be signed off by United, and what unfolded at Wembley could still have consequences. At the very least, De Gea knows his No 1 status is no longer guaranteed.
Roy Keane is a long-time critic and Peter Schmeichel, United’s Treble-winning goalkeeper, had no sympathy when asked to analyse how Gundogan’s
