[Lyng]

In line to have his extra year triggered. Car crash of a decision

Is Luckhurst reliable? Would be a terrible decision if true.

 

[largelyworried]

Totally on brand for United. Trigger his 1 year extension so we can sell him, fail to sell him, pay him a year's exorbitant salary to sit on the bench and watch him leave anyway.

 

[MadDogg]

Not really, their keeper was able to find his teammates in space with long balls repeatedly. Even when given time De Gea either hits it straight to the opposition or plays a ball that’s impossible to control.

Did I just imagine him repeatedly hitting it out of play then?

Their keeper was strange, and both of you are actually right. In the first half in particular every time their keeper played it out to his right, he put a bit too much on it and it went over his targets head and straight out of play. It was actually quite hilarious. But every time he played it to his left it was consistently a very good ball. Second half he seemed to fix his right-sided yips and he was generally quite good with his distribution.

 

[RkkMan]

I bet this is because no one would buy him so he will be our number 2.

A number 2 on £375k a week?
Same article specifically also says Utd aren't working on a long term replacement for De Gea. He'll remain as our No1

 

[RkkMan]

Did a run through on some statistics and De Gea is 14 Clean-Sheets away from surpassing Schmeichel as our record Clean-Sheet Holder
If he will be here till 2024 we may as well back him to hit that accolade and let him properly bow out as a Utd legend. That's the only silver lining of him staying

 

[JB7]

Did a run through on some statistics and De Gea is 14 Clean-Sheets away from surpassing Schmeichel as our record Clean-Sheet Holder
If he will be here till 2024 we may as well back him to hit that accolade and let him properly bow out as a Utd legend. That's the only silver lining of him staying

Why?

 

[RkkMan]

Why?

Because we have to support him since he's likely to stay regardless of how we feel about him?
I've been one of his biggest critics but there's no point complaining about him if he's guaranteed to stay contracted here till 2024
May as well find a reason to make his stay slightly bearable

 

[Remember the geese]

Did a run through on some statistics and De Gea is 14 Clean-Sheets away from surpassing Schmeichel as our record Clean-Sheet Holder
If he will be here till 2024 we may as well back him to hit that accolade and let him properly bow out as a Utd legend. That's the only silver lining of him staying

We can't succeed with him here, so there is no silver lining.

 

[largelyworried]

A number 2 on £375k a week?
Same article specifically also says Utd aren't working on a long term replacement for De Gea. He'll remain as our No1

No it doesn't, it says "...the club have not identified a potential long-term replacement". Important difference.

 

[Cassidy]

I bet this is because no one would buy him so he will be our number 2.

Makes no sense, since he would be able to leave for free if we did nothing. Either we're triggering because we think we can sell him or he'll be no1

 

[berbatrick]

Love him, but this is a really strange decision. Wonder if ETH has had any say in it.

 

[JB7]

Because we have to support him since he's likely to stay regardless of how we feel about him?
I've been one of his biggest critics but there's no point complaining about him if he's guaranteed to stay contracted here till 2024
May as well find a reason to make his stay slightly bearable

So essentially, you're saying that if he is kept here, he should remain as number one in the hope that we can carry him over the line to make him our record clean sheet holder. I repeat, why? Even if he is kept why should he remain as number one? He clearly hinders our game, he has done for many many years and it's only now that people are finally cottoning on it as it's glaring them in the face. Why on earth do we need to be put through another season of his shite?

 

[Oranges038]

12 players out of contract.... I dare say none of them will be missed if they were to leave, least missed of all would be DDG.

 

[sullydnl]

At least they're just talking about activating the extra year rather than actually handing him a new contract I guess. You'd think if they really wanted him here long term the latter would make more sense.

 

[RkkMan]

So essentially, you're saying that if he is kept here, he should remain as number one in the hope that we can carry him over the line to make him our record clean sheet holder. I repeat, why? Even if he is kept why should he remain as number one? He clearly hinders our game, he has done for many many years and it's only now that people are finally cottoning on it as it's glaring them in the face. Why on earth do we need to be put through another season of his shite?

Regardless of how us fans feel about De Gea his stock is still clearly high(foolishly) at the club. We're not extending his contract just to spend north of £50m on a replacement and have a £375k a week player on the bench for 10-20 games a season no matter how much we wish it was the case it isn't the reality. If the extra year gets triggered he's remaining as 1st choice period. He shouldn't remain as our No1 and I have desperately hoped we wouldn't trigger that option to avoid this but he will no matter what we say or do and we'll just have to suck it up and accept the cold hard reality till both him and Utd feel it's time to part ways which won't be earlier than 2024
Him being our record Clean-Sheet Holder at least means we get to witness a Utd Goalkeeping Legend in our lifetime which is a plus because he has still been a good servant for the club

 

[RkkMan]

No it doesn't, it says "...the club have not identified a potential long-term replacement". Important difference.

And they haven't identified yet because there's no need to rush it if he's here till 2024 not hard to read in between the lines
For the record Meslier is the one goalkeeper we've been reliably linked to in the last year more than once as the touted long term De Gea replacement

 

[RkkMan]

We can't succeed with him here, so there is no silver lining.

We won't win a CL/PL title with him here for sure unfortunately but it's not like we'd be title winners within 2 years at the earliest anyway
We could still win one or two cup competitions though

 

[Remember the geese]

Him being our record Clean-Sheet Holder at least means we get to witness a Utd Goalkeeping Legend in our lifetime

He's no legend to me.

 

[Remember the geese]

We won't win a CL/PL title with him here for sure unfortunately but it's not like we'd be title challengers within 2 years at the earliest anyway
We could still win one or two cup competitions though

Let's keep hold of an underperforming player because it's not like we are going to win anything major in the next two years anyway? Not the attitude. Besides, if we actually attempt to sign a top keeper and striker in 2023 then there's no reason why we can't challenge for the league or Champions League next season.

 

[MadDogg]

We won't win a CL/PL title with him here for sure unfortunately but it's not like we'd be title challengers within 2 years at the earliest anyway
We could still win one or two cup competitions though

Unlikely. De Gea is actually one of the main reasons we've consistently lost in the cups over the last four seasons. He seems to be more likely to make one of his regular mistakes in the games that have more riding on them.

 

[JB7]

Regardless of how us fans feel about De Gea his stock is still clearly high(foolishly) at the club. We're not extending his contract just to spend north of £50m on a replacement and have a £375k a week player on the bench for 10-20 games a season no matter how much we wish it was the case it isn't the reality. If the extra year gets triggered he's remaining as 1st choice period. He shouldn't remain as our No1 and I have desperately hoped we wouldn't trigger that option to avoid this but he will no matter what we say or do and we'll just have to suck it up and accept the cold hard reality till both him and Utd feel it's time to part ways which won't be earlier than 2024
Him being our record Clean-Sheet Holder at least means we get to witness a Utd Goalkeeping Legend in our lifetime which is a plus because he has still been a good servant for the club

Why does it need to be £50m? City signed a goalkeeper for free in the summer just gone that would walk into our team ahead of De Gea. PSG, Wolves, AC Milan signed goalkeepers for less than £12m each last summer that walk into our team.

It's not difficult to find a goalkeeper better than De Gea, and while the best option is likely to be £50m+, it doesn't need to be that expensive to replace him with a goalkeeper that suits the team better. And given our contact with Sommer and Trapp in the last few weeks, I highly doubt Ten Hag is looking to keep De Gea as number one for a moment longer than he needs to.

 

[RkkMan]

He's no legend to me.

History will say otherwise
Likewise with Rooney whom people also say isn't a legend

 

[RkkMan]

Let's keep hold of an underperforming player because it's not like we are going to win anything major in the next two years anyway? Not the attitude. Besides, if we actually attempt to sign a top keeper and striker in 2023 then there's no reason why we can't challenge for the league or Champions League next season.

Any GK we sign will be someone to deputize not replace and I never said we won't challenge I said winning

 

[RkkMan]

Why does it need to be £50m? City signed a goalkeeper for free in the summer just gone that would walk into our team ahead of De Gea. PSG, Wolves, AC Milan signed goalkeepers for less than £12m each last summer that walk into our team.

It's not difficult to find a goalkeeper better than De Gea, and while the best option is likely to be £50m+, it doesn't need to be that expensive to replace him with a goalkeeper that suits the team better. And given our contact with Sommer and Trapp in the last few weeks, I highly doubt Ten Hag is looking to keep De Gea as number one for a moment longer than he needs to.

Look at the names you've mentioned. If we were talking Meslier, Diogo Costa, Maignan, Robert Sanchez or Raya type GKs I'd be confident we're actively seeking to replace De Gea but Sommer and Trapp, both in their 30s(which shows that we're not seeking a young face that would immediately usurp De Gea)would be GKs to offer short term competition at best to De Gea not replace him doesn't exactly instil confidence we're seeking to immediately replace/discard him. I'm not ruling out that we get GKs of Trapp/Sommer caliber who would be decent options but I wouldn't get my hopes up on either being Utd No1s as long as De Gea is here barring a drastic fall in form of which we'll buy a young GK in 2024 anyway

 

[RkkMan]

Unlikely. De Gea is actually one of the main reasons we've consistently lost in the cups over the last four seasons. He seems to be more likely to make one of his regular mistakes in the games that have more riding on them.

Let's hope he's more solid with our current back 4 without Maguire unlikely as it may be

 

[Remember the geese]

History will say otherwise
Likewise with Rooney whom people also say isn't a legend

Will it really? Rooney certainly is.

 

[Remember the geese]

Any GK we sign will be someone to deputize not replace and I never said we won't challenge I said winning

We need a keeper to replace him, not deputise. Nobody is entitled to win anything. To challenge is all you can ask for.

 

[RkkMan]

Will it really? Rooney certainly is.

You don't top an all timer GK list at a club as big as Utd and not be seen as a legend
He's also won every major trophy with us except the CL

 

[Remember the geese]

You don't top an all timer GK list at a club as big as Utd and not be seen as a legend
He's also won every major trophy with us except the CL

Depends what you mean by 'topping a list'. He certainly wasn't as good as Schmeichel or Van der Sar, regardless of what the clean sheet stats might suggest. He has also won significantly less than both of them.

 

[JB7]

Look at the names you've mentioned. If we were talking Meslier, Diogo Costa, Maignan, Robert Sanchez or Raya type GKs I'd be confident we're actively seeking to replace De Gea but Sommer and Trapp, both in their 30s(which shows that we're not seeking a young face that would immediately usurp De Gea)would be GKs to offer short term competition at best to De Gea not replace him doesn't exactly instil confidence we're seeking to immediately replace/discard him. I'm not ruling out that we get GKs of Trapp/Sommer caliber who would be decent options but I wouldn't get my hopes up on either being Utd No1s as long as De Gea is here barring a drastic fall in form of which we'll buy a young GK in 2024 anyway

Why do you not think they would have replaced De Gea? I'd say given Ten Hag has had to completely change how he wants to play out from the back to accommodate De Gea, it is clear that an experienced goalkeeper used to playing out would have replaced him in the team. There is this notion that it would take £50m to replace De Gea and it is based on nothing, I gave examples of 4 goalkeepers in my last post changing clubs for small or no fees that would comfortably have replaced him. In terms of the links to Trapp/Sommer, there is nothing wrong with signing a goalkeeper to tide you over for 3/4/5 years to replace a goalkeeper that is incapable of playing how the team requires him to do so if the club believe the majority of the budget is better spent in other areas. He's an incredibly easy goalkeeper to replace because he really is abysmal at most areas of goalkeeping, as it's nigh on impossible to play proactive football without a proactive goalkeeper, they don't need need to be especially good to replace him - an average goalkeeper improves the team.

 

[largelyworried]

And they haven't identified yet because there's no need to rush it if he's here till 2024 not hard to read in between the lines
For the record Meslier is the one goalkeeper we've been reliably linked to in the last year more than once as the touted long term De Gea replacement

That isn't reading between the lines, that's finding meaning that isn't in the article by changing what was said. All it says is that the club doesn't want those players to leave on a free. Nothing in there about De Gea being first teamer going into next season, no different to Luke Shaw.

 

[RkkMan]

Why do you not think they would have replaced De Gea? I'd say given Ten Hag has had to completely change how he wants to play out from the back to accommodate De Gea, it is clear that an experienced goalkeeper used to playing out would have replaced him in the team. There is this notion that it would take £50m to replace De Gea and it is based on nothing, I gave examples of 4 goalkeepers in my last post changing clubs for small or no fees that would comfortably have replaced him. In terms of the links to Trapp/Sommer, there is nothing wrong with signing a goalkeeper to tide you over for 3/4/5 years to replace a goalkeeper that is incapable of playing how the team requires him to do so if the club believe the majority of the budget is better spent in other areas. He's an incredibly easy goalkeeper to replace because he really is abysmal at most areas of goalkeeping, as it's nigh on impossible to play proactive football without a proactive goalkeeper, they don't need need to be especially good to replace him - an average goalkeeper improves the team.

Using stop gaps is what had us in the wilderness of GKs after Schmeichel up until we got VDS hence why I haven't even talked them up as potential No1s even in the short term whether it's next year or 2024 we have to spend big on a young GK no ifs buts or maybes. The GKs you've mentioned may be better all round GKs hence why I said they'll offer short term competition or say replace De Gea when it's a complete impossibility to start him till his deal expires in 2024 and then we proceed to buy a younger face and make Sommer/Trapp/Dubravka if he does well here go back to being back ups. That's not a bad route to take short term as we solve outfield positions first

 

[RkkMan]

That isn't reading between the lines, that's finding meaning that isn't in the article by changing what was said. All it says is that the club doesn't want those players to leave on a free. Nothing in there about De Gea being first teamer going into next season, no different to Luke Shaw.

Nobody is buying a 32yr old GK that's an anthesis of a modern day sweeper GK at £375k a week. Won't stop us from buying a cheap 2nd GK that's a sweeper or signing Dubravka permanently if he's solid but it completely rules out the likes of Maignan, Diogo Costa, Robert Sanchez, Meslier or Raya when you factor in our focus will be at ST, CM and the fullback areas

 

[MadDogg]

Using stop gaps is what had us in the wilderness of GKs after Schmeichel up until we got VDS hence why I haven't even talked them up as potential No1s even in the short term whether it's next year or 2024 we have to spend big on a young GK no ifs buts or maybes. The GKs you've mentioned may be better all round GKs hence why I said they'll offer short term competition or say replace De Gea when it's a complete impossibility to start him till his deal expires in 2024 and then we proceed to buy a younger face and make Sommer/Trapp/Dubravka if he does well here go back to being back ups. That's not a bad route to take short term as we solve outfield positions first

Depends entirely on how good our scouting is. As others have said a number of good goalkeepers have moved over the last couple of years for fairly small amounts, so we absolutely do not have to spend big.

 

[largelyworried]

Nobody is buying a 32yr old GK that's an anthesis of a modern day sweeper GK at £375k a week. Won't stop us from buying a cheap 2nd GK that's a sweeper or signing Dubravka permanently if he's solid but it completely rules out the likes of Maignan, Diogo Costa, Robert Sanchez, Meslier or Raya when you factor in our focus will be at ST, CM and the fullback areas

No idea why your fetishizing the idea of him staying on as first choice while also being crap, but maybe wait til there's any suggestion of it actually happening before worrying about it, rather than making more doom-laden predictions.

 

[OL29]

Their keeper was strange, and both of you are actually right. In the first half in particular every time their keeper played it out to his right, he put a bit too much on it and it went over his targets head and straight out of play. It was actually quite hilarious. But every time he played it to his left it was consistently a very good ball. Second half he seemed to fix his right-sided yips and he was generally quite good with his distribution.

Yeah I’d take a goalkeeper missing a few long balls if he shows the ability to constantly find his team mates in space, something De Gea just isn’t capable of.

 

[JB7]

Using stop gaps is what had us in the wilderness of GKs after Schmeichel up until we got VDS hence why I haven't even talked them up as potential No1s even in the short term whether it's next year or 2024 we have to spend big on a young GK no ifs buts or maybes. The GKs you've mentioned may be better all round GKs hence why I said they'll offer short term competition or say replace De Gea when it's a complete impossibility to start him till his deal expires in 2024 and then we proceed to buy a younger face and make Sommer/Trapp/Dubravka if he does well here go back to being back ups. That's not a bad route to take short term as we solve outfield positions first

"Using stop gaps is what had us in the wilderness of GKs after Schmeichel up until we got to VDS"; you do know that VDS was 34 when he signed for us, right? Ie, older than both Trapp and Sommer (and also older than all of the goalkeepers we signed during the "wilderness" years.

We don't "have to spend big on a young GK" at all. I already gave four examples of goalkeepers changing hands in the past couple of years for £12m or less that would have replaced De Gea comfortably had we been switched on in the recruitment department in Maignan,, Sa, Donnarumma & Ortega, there are multiple other examples too such as Maximiano and Pope this summer. Even if we do look to the supposed "young GKs" you mentioned, the best option on available is pretty obviously Mike Maignan (27), he'd be well worth the £50m odd and Milan would no doubt look for that much, but in addition people talk about David Raya (27) as an option, you yourself mentioned him, he'll only have 12 months left on his deal next summer, why is he costing £50m? Robert Sanchez (24) will be down the the last 2 years of his deal, are Brighton holding out for £50m in that instance?

 

[RkkMan]

"Using stop gaps is what had us in the wilderness of GKs after Schmeichel up until we got to VDS"; you do know that VDS was 34 when he signed for us, right? Ie, older than both Trapp and Sommer (and also older than all of the goalkeepers we signed during the "wilderness" years.

We don't "have to spend big on a young GK" at all. I already gave four examples of goalkeepers changing hands in the past couple of years for £12m or less that would have replaced De Gea comfortably had we been switched on in the recruitment department in Maignan,, Sa, Donnarumma & Ortega, there are multiple other examples too such as Maximiano and Pope this summer. Even if we do look to the supposed "young GKs" you mentioned, the best option on available is pretty obviously Mike Maignan (27), he'd be well worth the £50m odd and Milan would no doubt look for that much, but in addition people talk about David Raya (27) as an option, you yourself mentioned him, he'll only have 12 months left on his deal next summer, why is he costing £50m? Robert Sanchez (24) will be down the the last 2 years of his deal, are Brighton holding out for £50m in that instance?

Our stature as a club doesn't allow us to spend small in certain areas if we're looking for a clear first choice whether you like it or not
Liverpool spent £60m+ on Alisson after failing with a cheap player in Karius
City spent like £40M on Ederson after failing with a cheap player in Bravo
Arsenal £30m on Ramsdale which was considered a massive overpay at the time
Chelsea tried the cheap route with Mendy but they'll replace him this time next year since his purple patch is over
We can't get away with a stop gap in the GK position no matter how much you try to spin it. We struck gold with VDS but lightning doesn't strike twice and inflation has happened since 2005
And by the way we won't buy Raya next year because he's too high profile a GK to compete with De Gea whom the club will still hold to high value and Sanchez will probably follow Potter to Chelsea next year too because we'll be looking at cheaper and older options to compete with De Gea

 

[RkkMan]

No idea why your fetishizing the idea of him staying on as first choice while also being crap, but maybe wait til there's any suggestion of it actually happening before worrying about it, rather than making more doom-laden predictions.

I'm not fetishizing anything I've wanted him gone for years just stating the reality which people will see. If players like McTominay can somehow still have very key roles after all these years De Gea is safe till 2024

 

[RkkMan]

Depends entirely on how good our scouting is. As others have said a number of good goalkeepers have moved over the last couple of years for fairly small amounts, so we absolutely do not have to spend big.

Amongst the smaller clubs they have moved for small fees
It doesn't apply to big clubs unfortunately Liverpool, City and Arsenal spent tonnes getting their current GKs after failing with cheap options bar Arsenal
Chelsea tried that with Mendy who's also shown his limitations and will likely be replaced next year