DESASTER ZONE
Neville: Dodgy Dave must get his head sorted
DAVID DE GEA has been told by Gary Neville to go back to basics to “stop the erosion” in his form for Manchester United.
The Spanish shot-stopper was savaged over Steven Bergwijn’s goal for Tottenham in Friday’s 1-1 draw and former United skipper Roy Keane said he would have been “swinging punches” at half-time because it was such a clanger.
Neville (above) feels the former Atletico Madrid star has been on the slide for the last few years and says he needs to work hard to turn around his decline.
“He’s got to go back to basics,” said the Reds legend on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“There’s only one thing you can do when you’re having a tough time: work. Work harder than you have ever done in your life.
“He has to do something to stop the erosion. Mistakes like that can happen on the first game back, but it’s happening far too much over the past couple of years.
“He was the one player United could rely upon for the last four years, but he’s not the same.”
De Gea’s mistake for Bergwijn’s goal was the latest error from the Spaniard, who used to be regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, and he is joint second in the Premier League’s table of errors costing goals with three.
De Gea, 29, was United’s player of the year four times in five years up until 2018, before his decline, and Neville feels he must have a problem with his mentality.
“He’s making lots of mistakes,” he said. “Ones he would never make. It can only be a confidence thing. The arms, legs and body are the same, it’s got to be the mind.”
De Gea’s continued poor form has presented Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a dilemma for next season when Dean Henderson is due back at Old Trafford from his latest loan spell with Sheffield United.
The United boss was pleased when De Gea signed a four-year contract last summer but some fans would prefer to see Henderson in goal next season.
Henderson has made it clear he wants to be United’s
No.1 and that he is not prepared to wait indefinitely for his chance.
Henderson is a contender for the Golden
Glove award with 11 clean sheets in the league this season and his career is on the rise, while De
Gea’s is on the slide.
Solskjaer is happy to let Henderson remain at Bramall Lane and told
Blades boss Chris Wilder he will extend his loan until the end of the campaign.
“I’ve had a chat with the manager and he was fine with Dean extending his loan until end of the season,” said Wilder.
“I appreciate Ole’s help on that one. Dean’s been great for us and we’ve been great for Dean.
“Hopefully we can get that deal signed off before the deadline.”