Since completing his move to the Red Devils in the summer of 2011, David De Gea has been ever-present between the sticks for the Red Devils and has been integral to most of their successes ever since. The Spanish goalkeeper has won a league title, an FA Cup trophy. He also tasted Europa League success with the Red Devils and won his second Carabao Cup trophy six weeks ago. He is considered a modern legend of the club.

De Gea made his reputation as a brilliant shot-stopper. His reactions and reflexes made him very challenging to beat. Eventually, he was regarded as one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League. However, since 2018,  the Spanish Goalkeeper has slowly become more error-prone, conceding ten errors leading to goals since the 2018-19 season in the Premier League. He looks less secure in goal and has been a part of the blame for several terrible performances from the United defence.

Besides his decline in shot-stopping, De Gea’s biggest problem is his ability with the ball at his feet. As one of the last few traditional goalkeepers, the Spanish international is very slow off his lines and tends to play it long rather than find his man. This is a major hindrance for a team looking to play a more possessive style build-up proving difficult with a goalkeeper with limited passing abilities. As a result, the Red Devils have conceded a few chances from build-up, notably, the goal conceded at Brentford early in the season.

If United want to play a more possessive system, compete to win the Premier League and with Europe’s elite clubs, they’ll need a goalkeeper that doesn’t commit errors and is decent with the ball at his feet. Fortunately for the Red Devils, they have a young Dean Henderson in the ranks that’s shown his ability in successful loan spells to Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest. He is capable of sealing the number one spot at the Red Devils.