David de Gea has left Manchester United

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We were also for most of DdG’s time or let’s say for all of it since Fergie retired a much more defensive side than we were with Schmeichel and VdS. When Schmeichel was at United we won a lot of games by outscoring the opposition. With VdS we were mostly still very attacking but not as much as in the 90s (or early 00s).
Whereas under all managers since Fergie left we were mostly/almost always a rather defensive/little risk taking side which resulted in more clean sheets but at the same time also in low scoring PL seasons.

We certainly set up more defensively but we weren't exactly defensive. And this wasn't due to risk taking but rather due to consistent errors all over the pitch coupled with a lack of effort.

Think back over the last decade to how many times you remember someone in midfield blowing possession and then making little effort to retrieve it. Or one of the forward being disposed out wide and the opposition just walking through us with ease. Think of all the chaotic pinball episodes in the penalty area.

I remember browsing this forum long before signing up and seeing terms like "zombie passing" being used to describe us. Seeing players basically standing still waiting for the ball rather than making themselves available for it. Being out run by several KM every game. United were lazy and slow. At times we were just plain boring.

What we weren't though was defensive. We just stuck 6 defensive players on the pitch half hoping one of them would stop the oppositions attack. Far to often they didn't buy you know who did, the man who made the phrase "Dave Saves" the 17th most searched term on Google in 2018*


* I may have made that up
 
Don't recall posting any video highlights??

I stand by my Valdes comment. I watched hundreds of Barcelona games, and even though he made some mistakes, i'm pretty sure the Barca fans never felt anxious when he was in the starting XI. If you see my comment as a WUM effort, then I guess i'm a WUM.

You can throw all the stats and expert opinions you want my way. But it's a feeling, you know. I never felt safe when DDG was in goal. If you have another opinion that's fine with me.

Agree to disagree.

Sorry, it was a video posted on twitter and shared here. An hour of his mistakes which was actually 20 minutes worth just repeated and a fair few of them were just part of goalkeeping. They concede goals, it's a thing.

And tbh, I'm not really one for stats so I understand where you are coming from. I always felt that even if he did make an error, or even when his confidence was at its lowest, he would still pull off something that could be the difference.
 
He was never the best in the world. He wasn't even the best Spanish keeper

He had a very good claim to being the best in the world at the very least during his peak and was also Spain's number one during that period so all in all, difficult to see how you have come to this conclusion.
 
I always felt that even if he did make an error, or even when his confidence was at its lowest, he would still pull off something that could be the difference.

Fair enough. I'm not disagreeing with you on this one. He definitely had his moments. The uncertainty of what you were going to get, is where my (admittedly) negative attitude towards DDG originates.
 
Who’s complaining about player loyalty? They go wherever they’re paid the most and have a good chance of winning stuff. You think half of our lot would be here if they weren’t on north of £200k? It sounds like you’re disillusioned with life, not football.

Life is great. I can separate a player not being good enough anymore and what he did for the club in the past and not feel the need to twerk over fake embarrassing stories about players making Whatsapp groups.
 
Life is great. I can separate a player not being good enough anymore and what he did for the club in the past and not feel the need to twerk over fake embarrassing stories about players making Whatsapp groups.
And yet that keeps you awake at night enough to keep bringing it up. If you're having a hard time supporting the club off the back of this, just remember, no one's died, everything is fine and you can always support wherever De Gea goes next if it's too painful for you to not see him in a United shirt anymore.
 
Pretty damn easy. It was clear to everyone his time here is at an end. Don't offer him a new contract at all and make it clear to him and to everyone else he is not staying months before his contract expires. That way everyone else knows when his last game at Old Trafford is and we can give him a proper goodbye with a standing ovation and all that. You can be both ruthless and competent. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Fair enough. If all parties (i.e. Dave included) were amenable that would certainly have been a better way. In the unlikely event that Dave threw his toys out on receiving the news, backup keepers were available.

I’m not sure I agree with your bolded bit though. Plenty of people on the Caf, and not just rabid fanboys, were of the opinion that Dave was far down our list of problems until quite recently. I wonder whether this view was shared by people at the club, and there was a genuine belief that his faults could be corrected by coaching?
 
After Rashy's faux pas, it's interesting that the club came out with this on the official site:

Sincere messages from his team-mates have been piling up on social media since the news broke earlier this afternoon (Saturday) and you can read a selection of them below.

Antony: Thank you very much legend ♥

Nathan Bishop: Incredible human being! Enjoy your next chapter! LEGEND ❤

Diogo Dalot: Legend ❤ Thank you for everything, you will be eternal for all of us at the club!

Casemiro: David, my mate !! You made history with Manchester United. You will always be a Red Devil, and these fans will continue to support you wherever your next challenge leads you. You will always be one of us My best wishes!

Christian Eriksen: ❤

Bruno Fernandes:
You will always be a legend at this football club ❤ You know what I think about you and how much I will miss you bro ❤ You deserved to say goodbye at the stadium with all the fans cheering you for all the beautiful memories You made history at the club and your name will never be forgotten, and no one can take that away from you. All the best for what's coming for you and your family ❤

Fred: You are a great player and a great person, thanks for everything hermano and good luck. I love you very much ❤

Alejandro Garnacho: Legend

Tom Heaton: All the best, @d_degeaofficial. Legend & top human ❤

Harry Maguire: All the best mate, legend ❤ Will miss you ❤

Juan Mata: ❤LEGEND

Scott McTominay: Good luck my brother - legend ♥

Donny van de Beek: Legend ❤

Raphael Varane: A Manchester United legend. Good luck on your next adventure, brother!


Spot the missing tweet! :nervous:
 
After Rashy's faux pas, it's interesting that the club came out with this on the official site:

Sincere messages from his team-mates have been piling up on social media since the news broke earlier this afternoon (Saturday) and you can read a selection of them below.

Antony: Thank you very much legend ♥

Nathan Bishop: Incredible human being! Enjoy your next chapter! LEGEND ❤

Diogo Dalot: Legend ❤ Thank you for everything, you will be eternal for all of us at the club!

Casemiro: David, my mate !! You made history with Manchester United. You will always be a Red Devil, and these fans will continue to support you wherever your next challenge leads you. You will always be one of us My best wishes!

Christian Eriksen: ❤

Bruno Fernandes:
You will always be a legend at this football club ❤ You know what I think about you and how much I will miss you bro ❤ You deserved to say goodbye at the stadium with all the fans cheering you for all the beautiful memories You made history at the club and your name will never be forgotten, and no one can take that away from you. All the best for what's coming for you and your family ❤

Fred: You are a great player and a great person, thanks for everything hermano and good luck. I love you very much ❤

Alejandro Garnacho: Legend

Tom Heaton: All the best, @d_degeaofficial. Legend & top human ❤

Harry Maguire: All the best mate, legend ❤ Will miss you ❤

Juan Mata: ❤LEGEND

Scott McTominay: Good luck my brother - legend ♥

Donny van de Beek: Legend ❤

Raphael Varane: A Manchester United legend. Good luck on your next adventure, brother!


Spot the missing tweet! :nervous:

Phil Jones, AWB, Alex Telles, Brandon Williams and Lindelof hate him?
 
Cheers for everything DDG. Unbelievable keeper at your best. Gutted it's ended the way it has, right decision but should have been handled far better and given his send off the last home game of last season.
 
Has a player leaving ever been more polarising?
Don't think he's that polarising. Almost all fans admit he had one tremendous ability (that kept him in top tier for goalkeepers for a few years) and a number of deficiencies that he/the coaching staff failed to improve and in the end that's why we decided to move on to another keeper. The only difference in opinion is if his longevity alone puts in in "legend" bracket.
 
Phil Jones, AWB, Alex Telles, Brandon Williams and Lindelof hate him?
No - of course, there could be nothing in it, but I do find it interesting.

By the way, none of the players you mentioned there are anywhere close to the profile of Rashford
 
After Rashy's faux pas, it's interesting that the club came out with this on the official site:

Sincere messages from his team-mates have been piling up on social media since the news broke earlier this afternoon (Saturday) and you can read a selection of them below.

Antony: Thank you very much legend ♥

Nathan Bishop: Incredible human being! Enjoy your next chapter! LEGEND ❤

Diogo Dalot: Legend ❤ Thank you for everything, you will be eternal for all of us at the club!

Casemiro: David, my mate !! You made history with Manchester United. You will always be a Red Devil, and these fans will continue to support you wherever your next challenge leads you. You will always be one of us My best wishes!

Christian Eriksen: ❤

Bruno Fernandes:
You will always be a legend at this football club ❤ You know what I think about you and how much I will miss you bro ❤ You deserved to say goodbye at the stadium with all the fans cheering you for all the beautiful memories You made history at the club and your name will never be forgotten, and no one can take that away from you. All the best for what's coming for you and your family ❤

Fred: You are a great player and a great person, thanks for everything hermano and good luck. I love you very much ❤

Alejandro Garnacho: Legend

Tom Heaton: All the best, @d_degeaofficial. Legend & top human ❤

Harry Maguire: All the best mate, legend ❤ Will miss you ❤

Juan Mata: ❤LEGEND

Scott McTominay: Good luck my brother - legend ♥

Donny van de Beek: Legend ❤

Raphael Varane: A Manchester United legend. Good luck on your next adventure, brother!


Spot the missing tweet! :nervous:
That amount of hearts is unnatural.
 
Incredible goalkeeper - one of the best this club has ever had and a class act in general. I wish he could have had the proper send off at Old Trafford that his time here deserves. On his sale, his level has gone down and he’s unfortunate to be a keeper who came about during a transitional phase in the game.
 
Thanks for everything Dave, the last of the Fergie era and the last 1 of the title winners.

A sad ending to an amazing United career, he deserved a proper farewell. 12 years with us are a lot, a Legend for our club. The way the club has handled this has been embarrassingly disrespectful to a man that at our darkest points in the last decade pretty much single-handedly kept us relevant, no testimonial hurts.

At our worst he's been one of the brightest lights, genuinely world class for some of his time here, but modern football has moved on and left him behind.

On a Sunday it is closed, Dave saves. I would never forget that Arsenal match where he made 14 saves, he could have saved titanic that day. Top ten Premier League keeper for sure.

Lost his dream move to Real due to a broken fax machine, still kept going and gave everything for us.

Wish him the best in his next chapter. It is a shame the way it ended. The board is to blame for that, end of an era.

Adios amigo.
 
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Don't think he's that polarising. Almost all fans admit he had one tremendous ability (that kept him in top tier for goalkeepers for a few years) and a number of deficiencies that he/the coaching staff failed to improve and in the end that's why we decided to move on to another keeper. The only difference in opinion is if his longevity alone puts in in "legend" bracket.

Yea sorry that's what I meant. Now that he has left his full legacy can be assessed and that seems to be dividing people. Legend? Not a legend? Folk hero? Best goalkeeper ever? Third or fourth best keeper?
 
Can't believe we've let him go for nothing when we could have got 50/60m for him a couple of seasons ago.
It's not like we're exactly made of money is it!
The instant he signed the latest contract (four years ago) it was impossible to sell him. His performances had already dropped off massively and he was by far the highest paid keeper in the history of the sport. Have to go back at least five years to be able to sell him for a decent amount, and eight years since Real actually did try to sign him.
 
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Yea sorry that's what I meant. Now that he has left his full legacy can be assessed and that seems to be dividing people. Legend? Not a legend? Folk hero? Best goalkeeper ever? Third or fourth best keeper?
Yeah like I mentioned before, his longevity alone puts him as a contender to a "legend" status, although for me he was a big reason our defense always looks shaky. This was mentioned in one of the million DDG threads that he always seemed "focus on himself" and I never felt like we had a cohesive defensive unit that can communicate properly. This became evident to me this season as he played with absolute monsters in Martinez, Varane and Casemiro and it still looked too shaky way too often. Time will tell if I was right to blame it mostly on the keeper. I am probably too harsh on him but I never warmed up to his timid personality.
 
Are there any speculations regarding his next team?

Nothing so far that I've seen. To be honest its hard to think where he could go. His wages combined with his form make him an extremely difficult keeper to find a home for. Teams like Real and Bayern aren't downgrading their current keepers. Teams like Real Sociedad or Roma might consider De Gea better than what they have, but they can get a lot more bang for their buck keeping their current keepers and investing that salary in outfield positions. I wouldn't be surprised if he cashed in and went to the Saudi league.
 
Nothing so far that I've seen. To be honest its hard to think where he could go. His wages combined with his form make him an extremely difficult keeper to find a home for. Teams like Real and Bayern aren't downgrading their current keepers. Teams like Real Sociedad or Roma might consider De Gea better than what they have, but they can get a lot more bang for their buck keeping their current keepers and investing that salary in outfield positions. I wouldn't be surprised if he cashed in and went to the Saudi league.
Sociedad wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.
 
I can still vividly remember that save he made from his future teammate's freekick (hint: Juan Mata's freekick). From that time onwards, I was almost never "scared" of freekicks around the box. I cannot connect with any other keeper being as good as David de Gea in how he protects his goal from direct freekicks! His agility together with his incredible strong hands/wrists is what makes him stand above his peers. Truly has been a joy to have had him at United! keep enjoying your football, David!
 
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I can still vividly remember that save he made from his future teammate's freekick (hint: Juan Mata's freekick). From that time onwards, I was almost never "scared" of freekicks around the box. I cannot connect with any other keeper being as good as David de Gea in how he protects his goal from direct freekicks! His agility together with his incredible strong hands/wrists is what makes him stand above his peers. Truly has been a joy to have had him at United! keep enjoying your football, David!
What about indirect free kicks whipped into his 6 yard box? I shat myself every time that happened!
 
De Gea isn't just the last player to leave the club of the SAF era but also ends an 88 year run of a player in the team who players under either Sir Matt or Sir Alex.
 
De Gea isn't just the last player to leave the club of the SAF era but also ends an 88 year run of a player in the team who players under either Sir Matt or Sir Alex.
We still have Heaton for now, although he never actually made it onto the pitch under SAF.
 
Did he ever make the bench under Fergie?
Yes, for CL matches against Roma as well as a handful of league matches in 2007-08. He got a run on the bench I think when VDS and Foster were both injured, and then in the away match against Derby when VDS was injured and PIG was suspended.
 
Yes, for CL matches against Roma as well as a handful of league matches in 2007-08. He got a run on the bench I think when VDS and Foster were both injured, and then in the away match against Derby when VDS was injured and PIG was suspended.

Ah thanks. Just read it earlier and didn't check. Bit of a shame really as De Gea would have been a worthy way to end that run. No disrespect to Heaton of course.
 
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