Papers giving credit, finally.
It was the moment, just two minutes into the game, when David de Gea raced off his line to half-punch Rory Delap’s missile of a throw-in that the Manchester United goalkeeper came of age in his ill-fitting No 1 shirt. The fact that De Gea failed to connect properly with his attempted clearance was of secondary importance to the courage the 20 year-old displayed in meeting the unique challenge of Stoke City head-on.
Fortune favours the brave and, five weeks into his first season in English football, the Spanish youngster can now say he has endured the crucible of the Britannia Stadium and survived. De Gea, United’s £18.3 million successor to the retired Edwin van der Sar, could still give a passable impression of a Sunday morning goalkeeper thanks to his incongruous appearance between the posts – the baggy, untucked shirt and adolescent facial hair, but as Stoke pounded his goal from all directions, he stood up to the test.
The early fumbles against Manchester City and West Bromwich are fading into the memory, replaced by images of penalty saves against Arsenal, scrambled blocks against Chelsea and a hat-trick of reflex saves against Stoke on Saturday.
His grounding in La Liga with Atlético Madrid has left De Gea clearly unprepared for the crosses and high balls of the Premier League, but he appears emboldened by the task of adjusting to the demands rather than cowed by it. After earning United a point at Stoke and preserving his team’s unbeaten record this season, De Gea has turned a corner.
“I don’t think you get much more physical games than away to Stoke,” United midfielder Darren Fletcher said. “They bombard you with balls into the box, set-pieces and corners, but he dealt with it well and he will take a lot of confidence from that performance, which was a bit of a welcome to English football.
“David did fantastic. We showed him plenty of videos and there was a lot of preparation going into the game, showing him what to expect, but it didn’t faze him and he stood up to the challenge.
“When you come here, you really have to embrace the challenge of facing Stoke. If you come here with any fear, it is going to cost you.”
Prior to the game, Stoke manager Tony Pulis had conceded that United’s resolve and battle-readiness had contributed to their success in being the only club to enjoy a 100 per cent record against his team since their return to the top flight in 2008. And United’s start, without the injured Wayne Rooney and Jonny Evans, who aggravated an ankle injury in the warm-up, suggested that the champions would make it seven straight victories against Stoke.
United could have had a third- minute penalty when Jonathan Woodgate bundled Javier Hernández over inside the 18 yard box. Referee Peter Walton waved play on, but Hernández lasted just five more minutes before limping off.
Nani put United ahead with another stunning solo goal when he played a one-two with Fletcher before scoring with a left-foot strike from 15 yards. But despite United’s high-intensity game, pressing the ball in Stoke
territory, the home side rallied. De Gea brilliantly palmed an Andy Wilkinson shot onto the bar before tipping a goal-bound Jon Walters strike around the post. He made his third stunning save of the match when he kept out a Crouch effort with his elbow in the second half.
Poor defensive marking by Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones, however, left De Gea exposed on 52 minutes when Crouch rose six yards out to head Matthew Etherington’s corner into the net. It was his first goal for Stoke since his August move from Tottenham and enabled him to join an elite group of players to score Premier League goals for six different clubs. The most satisfying statistic for Stoke, however, was not Crouch’s personal milestone, but their success in finally taking a point from United, who will ultimately view this as a point gained rather than two lost, judging by the ongoing improvement of Pulis’s team.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea passes stern Stoke examination with flying colours - Telegraph
--
Such are the ongoing perceptions of frailty that swirl around David de Gea, Stoke City manager Tony Pulis was keen last week to find out if the Spanish goalkeeper would play against his team for Manchester United on Saturday.
But if Pulis believed De Gea’s presence in goal for United would in any way weaken the Barclays Premier League champions’ resilience to some of Stoke’s more direct play at the Britannia Stadium then he was wrong.
De Gea was certainly not perfect on Saturday. This, however, was perhaps his best game since joining United and team-mate Darren Fletcher feels the young goalkeeper has now taken a huge step forward as he looks to establish himself as a worthy successor to Edwin van der Sar.
Not intimidated: David de Gea dealt with all that Stoke threw at him
Not intimidated: David de Gea dealt with all that Stoke threw at him
Fletcher said: 'He did fantastic, but he has been performing fantastic anyway.
'We showed him plenty of videos and there was a lot of preparation going into the game, showing him what to expect.
'But it didn’t faze him and he stood up to the challenge.
'Stoke are a big, physical side, with a lot of players over six foot and, on the whole, a lot of players stood up to that and did really wel
'I don’t think you get much more physical games than away to Stoke. They bombard you with balls into the box, set-pieces and corners, but David dealt with it well and he will take a lot of confidence from that performance, which was a bit of a welcome to English football.'
De Gea made three good saves as United and Stoke played out a deserved draw but is likely to be rested on Tuesday night when United host Basle of Switzerland in the Champions League. The Dane Anders Lindegaard is expected to play in that game.
Read more:
Defiant De Gea passes Stoke's physical examination at The Britannia | Mail Online
