[Zed is not dead]

Crazy how money makes people throw all sense of courtesy and decent humanity.
It’s only a sport, it’s only entertainment. He cost us points but has been a servant of the club.
Doesn’t matter how much he’s paid, by all accounts De Gea is and has always been an agreeable person in the team and the overall United family.
So yes, I dare say that the club should behave better.

We were all happy to see what the club was doing for the manchester community during Covid because it showed humanity. We should have the same standards on the way they treat staff, players and opponents.

But seeing how Jones has been ridiculed by this fanbase I’m not even surprised to see how people talk about De Gea

 

[arnie_ni]

So basically there is no "normal" way of signing a contract

I just didn't think in a football contract the first person signing would be the player.

 

[TheLittleOne]

Like I also said, if it’s true.

In case you hadn’t noticed, am dubious about the veracity of this ‘exclusive’.

But then I’m dubious about most news stories in relation to United

Its not like we didnt do things like this in the past. I really disliked the way we handled the LVG firing for example. If it happend this way with DDG it doesnt show much class, i would certainly agree with that.

 

[crossy1686]

If he's signed the initial contract how can they rescind it? Sounds like they are opening themselves up for a lawsuit. Anyone with more knowledge of these situations shed some light?

Both parties have to sign an agreement for it to be valid. United made an offer, he signed it, United pulled it before signing it.

 

[RedOrange]

Crazy how money makes people throw all sense of courtesy and decent humanity.
It’s only a sport, it’s only entertainment. He cost us points but has been a servant of the club.
Doesn’t matter how much he’s paid, by all accounts De Gea is and has always been an agreeable person in the team and the overall United family.
So yes, I dare say that the club should behave better.

We were all happy to see what the club was doing for the manchester community during Covid because it showed humanity. We should have the same standards on the way they treat staff, players and opponents.

But seeing how Jones has been ridiculed by this fanbase I’m not even surprised to see how people talk about De Gea

Ah yes the post-Fergie United Commandments:
1) jobs for the boys
2) no criticizing the boys
3) everything is always the manager's fault

 

[edgecutter]

Crazy how money makes people throw all sense of courtesy and decent humanity.
It’s only a sport, it’s only entertainment. He cost us points but has been a servant of the club.
Doesn’t matter how much he’s paid, by all accounts De Gea is and has always been an agreeable person in the team and the overall United family.
So yes, I dare say that the club should behave better.

We were all happy to see what the club was doing for the manchester community during Covid because it showed humanity. We should have the same standards on the way they treat staff, players and opponents.

But seeing how Jones has been ridiculed by this fanbase I’m not even surprised to see how people talk about De Gea

100 million he's cost the club in the last 5 years! He simply isn't good enough to warrant keeping and for the first time our club has grown a back bone some of our fans aren't happy. We need to be ruthless, and hopefully this is the start for some of our underperforming players to realise they will get the boot. We are not a charity, we're suppose to be a football club with ambition, and De Gea isn't going to get us where we want to be. He needs to go, and thankfully common sense has prevailed.

 

[CloneMC16]

Its worrying how the he's rich, he'll be fine sentiments come up every. single. time.

Why? This is elite level sport and he's paid extremely well for his services. You will be replaced if you don't perform.

 

[lex talionis]

It depends on the type of contract, but usually the wet ink signing must usually take place at a given date in a given place. However more often than not you can give a power of attorney to the lawyers representing you and they usually sign together.
However, a contract is only valid and enforceable if both parties have signed it (and if no clauses are illegal of course).
So if De Gea signed it on his side, but the club hasn’t yet, technically the renewal isn’t effective yet and the club can change its mind about this or that clause.
It’s not a common situation though as it’s bad for business relationships (you’re only as good as your word) but nothing illegal the way I ser it

I can't speak to the procedural requirements of contract law in the UK, but as a general practice digital signatures are now commonly accepted as binding in the US and I see no reason why that wouldn't be the case in the UK as well. Under general principles of contract law, if an offer is made and accepted a contract is entered into. It would be highly irregular for an offer in good faith to be made without a signature of the party making the offer on the document itself that only requires a signature of the accepting party to sign. If in fact an actual contract offer was by Manchester United Football Club it had to have been an offer in writing and affixed with a signature by the officer (a US term, probably not the UK term) of the organization -- in this case, a football club -- with the legal authority to sign player contracts.

If on the other hand, a document that represents a good faith offer by the club was presented to the player that did not have the signature of the officer the organization right off the bat that is completely out of order and De Gea had every right to sat WTF is this shite? (De Gea critics could well respond WTF was the Benrhama goal or the second Gundogan goal all about?) The organization would do this -- that is, withhold from affixing a signature to the contract it offered -- only if it had always planned on withdrawing the offer to the player in the event he actually signed it. Which would be a disgraceful play by the club. In this case what I'm reading online is that De Gea accepted the offer with his signature but that after he affixed signature to the contract that the club immediately withdrew its offer that it never signed when it made the offer. An appalling and disgraceful treatment of the player, whatever one thinks of his performances over the last month or the last decade.

Re the other points re a given date and a given place, a contract may include such stipulations -- that the offer is only an offer until X date and that if it is to be a binding contract it must be signed at a specific location such as Old Trafford, but as a general principle of contract law a contract can be binding if the contract itself is signed by both parties at their leisure.

 

[TheLittleOne]

Why? This is elite level sport and he's paid extremely well for his services. You will be replaced if you don't perform.

I have been replaced with a dozen others in my job simply because the company wanted to go different ways. I was angry of course at first but now its in the past and im fine. Im earning around 80k a year and even i question how is that fair because i know plenty of hard working people earning 300 bucks a month. David is a multimillionaire hell be fine. Should he ever been given a new contract? No. Should we give him the chance to leave with dignity? Certainly yes.

 

[Red in STL]

Its not like we didnt do things like this in the past. I really disliked the way we handled the LVG firing for example. If it happend this way with DDG it doesnt show much class, i would certainly agree with that.

I'd forgotten about the LvG firing, so there's also history, because that was equally classless

 

[mav_9me]

This in itself would be a problem.

Nothing De Gea did at the end of the season was different to what he did at the start of the season, or indeed at various points across the last several seasons. Absolutely nobody, including Ten Hag, should have only just realised the extent of the De Gea problem based on his blunders in the last few games. Hell, blunders aren't even the main reason he needs to be replaced. He's been here for 545 games, nobody should be changing their opinion on him based on the last handful of those.

Because that implies that if De Gea had had that bad patch a few games later at the start of next season instead of the end of this one, we'd have had the almost immediate realisation that we actually should have replaced the guy we just handed a 200k a week contract to.

Replacing De Gea this summer is the right outcome, but if we arrive at that outcome from the process described then we'll have been rather lucky.

I fully support ETH but how much is it a good thing he changed his mind on DDG vs how much is it a bad thing he initially wanted to keep him?

Who knows what really happened but this version sounds most plausible.

 

[Plant0x84]

Very shitty way to treat a club legend. Classless by those in charge.

 

[Kostov]

If it is true, what an absolute classless way to treat a club legend.

 

[Red in STL]

Very shitty way to treat a club legend. Classless by those in charge.

It's a classless way to treat any employee, club legend or not

 

[Plant0x84]

It's a classless way to treat any employee, club legend or not

Absolutely.

 

[Adnan]

I've thought for sometime now that you have ties or an interest with Murtough or whoever in the recruitment department and you're clearly showing your hand here. Your unwillingness to fully acknowledge that this was poor planning and a cnuty move is astonishing.

You're almost trying to pass this off as a good thing. The end result maybe desired but it shows this new regime is not much different to the old which is what you've been trying to convince people here otherwise.

EtH making a decision after 4 months and u-turning is an indictment on our decsion makers on the footballing side. There is no way of denying that.

I don't have any ties to John Murtough because if I did, De Gea wouldn't have even lasted ten Hag's first season at the club. And I haven't even mentioned John Murtough, you have.

How on earth is it poor planning? The same outlet that has been reporting about De Gea being close to signing a contract have also since last year been telling us that the goalkeeping scout has been trawling Europe scouting goalkeepers. And you don't need to plan years or months in advance to bring in a goalkeeper who provides the +1 in possession. There's lots of keepers around Europe who provide that option. I've been telling you guys for years about De Gea not being good enough.

 

[united_99]

Maybe, just maybe at the beginning ETH thought it was a lack of instructions/game plan/different tactics as much as ability which was holding DdG back.
But now after a season working with him he has realised that it was indeed mainly ability or lack of ability/willingness to improve which is not going to change moving forward.
De Gea has hardly improved since 2013 and it is possible that at the beginning ETH overrated him. Other players including AWB have improved after all and he initially may have thought there was also hope for De Gea.

 

[Mainoldo]

I don't have any ties to John Murtough because if I did, De Gea wouldn't have even lasted ten Hag's first season at the club. And I haven't even mentioned John Murtough, you have.

How on earth is it poor planning? The same outlet that has been reporting about De Gea being close to signing a contract have also since last year been telling us that the goalkeeping scout has been trawling Europe scouting goalkeepers. And you don't need to plan years or months in advance to bring in a goalkeeper who provides the +1 in possession. There's lots of keepers around Europe who provide that option. I've been telling you guys for years about De Gea not being good enough.

For what he’ll be worth he’s not even a good enough number 2. Imagine a number 2 on his wages. I’m just glad hopefully he will go going full stop.

 

[Adnan]

For what he’ll be worth he’s not even a good enough number 2. Imagine a number 2 on his wages. I’m just glad hopefully he will go going full stop.

I agree and he's been a problem for years where we've changed personnel in every position but he's been the ever present.

 

[Zed is not dead]

Ah yes the post-Fergie United Commandments:
1) jobs for the boys
2) no criticizing the boys
3) everything is always the manager's fault

Im not sure how relevant your reply is.

I’m just saying that basic decency is something I prefer. Let De Gea go, I’m all for it. But maybe, just maybe, we don’t have to do it by being disrespectful and coming back on our word (allegedly)

 

[Jonty]

The club, just as the player would, have every right to reconsider before the deal is done. He was vastly overpaid through his last contract, came very close to an exit before that after flirting with Real and his game has not kept up with today's football. He was great at times but perhaps best for all parties to move on.

 

[Mainoldo]

Im not sure how relevant your reply is.

I’m just saying that basic decency is something I prefer. Let De Gea go, I’m all for it. But maybe, just maybe, we don’t have to do it by being disrespectful and coming back on our word (allegedly)

Remember when he was ready to leave us on the last day of the transfer window and pretty much was too emotional(shock) to start the season.

 

[Mainoldo]

I agree and he's been a problem for years where we've changed personnel in every position but he's been the ever present.

You’d think we would have figured it out.

 

[Zed is not dead]

Remember when he was ready to leave us on the last day of the transfer window and pretty much was too emotional(shock) to start the season.

Yeah I know, but it’s my personal view that it’s not because someone was shitty with you that you have to be shitty with them in return.
And other than the Madrid failed transfer, I’m not sure what can be reproached to De Gea on a personal basis.
Because I fully agree that we must move on from De Gea, and that at best we can keep him as number 2. But I’m not too fond of always saying « our players are shite, get rid ».
Call me naive or a football romantic, but a football club is a community, and what matters most is how you treat your own

 

[mctrials23]

I mean it sucks that this is what has happened but what would people like to happen. For us to have a highly paid backup keeper? To no have made the offer in the first place and left DDG with no reason to perform this season potentially? Yes this is crappy and we shouldn't be in this situation but in the grand scheme of how we have been run...

I assume the reason he finally agreed is because he didn't get any better offers elsewhere despite being a free agent.

He is fundamentally an employee and he would have left the club years ago (and nearly did) if a better offer came along. We have been paying him a "best player in the world salary" for years now and I doubt the club just threw that offer at him off the cuff. I assume that was negotiated with DDG having the club over a bit of a barrel due to squad quality and how vital he was as a result.

I love DDG, hes been at United for a long time and in some of the worst times in decades he has been one of our only players performing. That doesn't mean we should act sentimentally when it comes to retaining him or letting him go. He should be given a big send off and wished well in whatever he does next.

We have spent far too many years being far too sentimental and scared. While Pep is letting key players leave because he has quality to replace them we have been throwing crazy money at average players and even more at anyone who shows a bit of talent. That needs to stop.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

Meh, not bothered about the treatment. He needs to go. It’s sad but he can get his testimonial after.

Joe Hart treatment needed.

 

[Adnan]

You’d think we would have figured it out.

To figure that out one must select the right manager. And when you select the right manager who wants implement a dominant play style, then it's only a matter of time before the dominant ideals reflect your recruitment.

It's why I've consistently said that we should hire managers on the basis of them implementing a dominant play style. And that's what we never did until we hired ten Hag who implements a play style that looks to exert control starting with the GK.

 

[AndySmith1990]

Can't say I have a problem with them pulling the contract and offering a lower wage. Imagine we've got Dean Henderson on £120k a week, De Gea on something similar, then we sign another keeper who'd obviously be on more. It's just daft really.

I'd prefer we didn't bother offering him a contract at all. But if Ten Hag wants him as #2 then it makes sense to offer him a wage befitting a #2 keeper

 

[spiriticon]

I think people who feel that's it's ok to shaft De Gea are being a little short sighted.

There are currently fewer and fewer reasons left to join United in this current day. If we start mistreating players on top of having no chance to win proper trophies, that's yet another reason for top players to choose City or Madrid over us.

We can still offer a 300k wage for now, but so can many other clubs these days. And even so, our financial power is surely slowly diminishing after years of sporting failure.

If it was all agreed and signed, we need to honour it. It's our fault for making such an offer.

 

[TheGame]

I mean it sucks that this is what has happened but what would people like to happen. For us to have a highly paid backup keeper? To no have made the offer in the first place and left DDG with no reason to perform this season potentially? Yes this is crappy and we shouldn't be in this situation but in the grand scheme of how we have been run...

I assume the reason he finally agreed is because he didn't get any better offers elsewhere despite being a free agent.

He is fundamentally an employee and he would have left the club years ago (and nearly did) if a better offer came along. We have been paying him a "best player in the world salary" for years now and I doubt the club just threw that offer at him off the cuff. I assume that was negotiated with DDG having the club over a bit of a barrel due to squad quality and how vital he was as a result.

I love DDG, hes been at United for a long time and in some of the worst times in decades he has been one of our only players performing. That doesn't mean we should act sentimentally when it comes to retaining him or letting him go. He should be given a big send off and wished well in whatever he does next.

We have spent far too many years being far too sentimental and scared. While Pep is letting key players leave because he has quality to replace them we have been throwing crazy money at average players and even more at anyone who shows a bit of talent. That needs to stop.

If he wasn't in the manager's plans, it would have been known way before the season has ended so why was he offered a new contract? At that point he should have been told that he wasn't in the manager's plans, thanks for your service and then it could have been an amicable departure however by reports we have offered a contract with reduced wages which he has agreed on and now we've taken that away and offered another one with further reduced wages. If it is true then it's a disgraceful way to behave to a player who has given many years to the club. People are getting confused between no longer wanting a player and treating him like dirt. It's not the fact whether he should be retained, it's the way the club has reportedly gone about it.

Other people throwing in comments about sentimentality which isn't relevant to this point or even excusing the clubs behaviour if the reports are true is pathetic.

 

[edgecutter]

I think people who feel that's it's ok to shaft De Gea are being a little short sighted.

There are currently fewer and fewer reasons left to join United in this current day. If we start mistreating players on top of having no chance to win proper trophies, that's yet another reason for top players to choose City or Madrid over us.

We can still offer a 300k wage for now, but so can many other clubs these days. And even so, our financial power is surely slowly diminishing after years of sporting failure.

If it was all agreed and signed, we need to honour it. It's our fault for making such an offer.

The same city or madrid that constantly dump players if they aren't good enough?

Players will come if you pay them enough. Just have a look at the Saudi League to see that player's bank balance is more important than who you play for.

 

[Tango80]

It's a bad way to treat a player.

Love how I'm still seeing people do the mental arithmetic to convince themselves the club did right because it's fits in with their anti de Gea narrative. It's double standards.

If we did the same thing with Eric Bailly I'd be similarly outraged.

 

[edgecutter]

It's a bad way to treat a player.

Love how I'm still seeing people do the mental arithmetic to convince themselves the club did right because it's fits in with their anti de Gea narrative. It's double standards.

If we did the same thing with Eric Bailly I'd be similarly outraged.

Why? His conduct has been awful the past few years.

 

[spiriticon]

The same city or madrid that constantly dump players if they aren't good enough?

Players will come if you pay them enough. Just have a look at the Saudi League to see that player's bank balance is more important than who you play for.

If a player wants money, there are plenty other clubs who can pay more than us. Our muscles are kinda big but not that big.

Also, being sold is kinda different situation to rescinding a contract.

I'm not clear on the details. If nothing was signed, fair enough. If things were signed, even a pre contract agreement, it's a bit shit by the club.

 

[Mainoldo]

Yeah I know, but it’s my personal view that it’s not because someone was shitty with you that you have to be shitty with them in return.
And other than the Madrid failed transfer, I’m not sure what can be reproached to De Gea on a personal basis.
Because I fully agree that we must move on from De Gea, and that at best we can keep him as number 2. But I’m not too fond of always saying « our players are shite, get rid ».
Call me naive or a football romantic, but a football club is a community, and what matters most is how you treat your own

Oh you forgot when he held us to ransom over his last renewal and we buckled. He was ready to walk for free we had to offer him £375 after already been on £250k. He wasn’t getting that anywhere else but we didn’t call him bluff.

I have no sympathy for him he cares as much as we care about him. Don’t get sucked in.

 

[Idxomer]

While I think the whole keeper situation has been a farce, it's not because of how the club treated De Gea.

He has been free to do whatever he wants for the last 6 months. He still has a contract offer likely for over 100k/week on the table. United aren't keeping De Gea a prisoner, he simply never had a better offer before the last few weeks. The minute the Saudis start throwing money, he's considering his options.

 

[RVN1991]

Ten Haag is doing his job better than everyone else at the club, is he supposed to accept a mediocre keeper to spare his feelings? Keep crying.

Where did I say I wanted him to stay? They should have never offered him a deal in the first place.

 

[edgecutter]

If a player wants money, there are plenty other clubs who can pay more than us. Our muscles are kinda big but not that big.

Also, being sold is kinda different situation to rescinding a contract.

I'm not clear on the details. If nothing was signed, fair enough. If things were signed, even a pre contract agreement, it's a bit shit by the club.

You can't renegade a contract if it was signed, and this is where the story doesn't make sense, because it couldn't have been finalised. If I had some verbal agreement on a house, and then realised that it wasn't up to scratch I am within my rights to bail out from signing anything to finalise the sale. The club has done the right thing here, and that's the first time I can say that about contracts at Manchester United.

 

[spiriticon]

You can't renegade a contract if it was signed, and this where the story doesn't make sense, because it couldn't have been finalised. I had some verbal agreement on a house, and then realised that it wasn't up to scratch I am within my rights to bail out from signing anything to finalise the sale. The club has done the right thing here, and that's the first time I can say that about contracts at Manchester United.

Well I sincerely hope that nothing was formally agreed. It doesn't look good for us still to go back on a gentleman's agreement, but quite frankly De Gea had months of time to accept a contract and he didn't.

We should never have offered him a renewal in the first place, but we already know how bad our management is.

 

[Tango80]

Why? His conduct has been awful the past few years.

Has it really though?

Let's not pretend everyone would be ok if we did the same thing to say, Martinez or Rashford.