De Gea has repaid boss’s faith in him
UNITED took a pretty big gamble in the summer transfer window when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided upon his first-choice goalkeeper for the upcoming campaign.
Would he continue to show his faith in the ageing David de Gea - a player whom he trusts but had committed a spate of recent high-profile errors - or Dean Henderson, riding the wave of an incredible season at Sheffield United but unproven in the pressure cooker environment of Old Trafford?
In the end Solskjaer went with his gut, opting to back De Gea again just as he had done for all of United’s big games last season.
The selection of the Spaniard for semi-finals in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League had all but ended Sergio Romero’s chances at the club, with the Argentine now occupying a similar role to that of Victor Valdes deep in the shadows of the club.
It looks like many of us owe Solskjaer an apology.
The Norwegian has often been criticised for his devotion to the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper but it looks like his prayers have been answered after sticking by De Gea through his darkest days.
One of only two survivors from the last Premier League title-winning team it is little surprise the experience of De Gea is proving to be a huge catalyst behind their unlikely surge up this title this season.
The 30-year-old produced a string of fine saves in the win over Wolves earlier in the week, while he was sharp again in the New Year’s Day victory against Aston Villa. In fact, the Spaniard has been one of the most consistent performers throughout the division – and despite the claims of some pundits (see pages 28&29) - with a run of fine p e r f o rma n c e s which have all but subdued the calls for Henderson to immediately replace him on a permanent basis.
Academy graduate Henderson has reiterated is desperate to become the No.1 at United but is only prepared to wait so long for that opportunity as regular football remains his utmost priority.
The former Sheffield United loanee signed a new five-year contract he with United worth in excess of £100,000-a-week last summer.
It’s a compliment to De Gea that he might effectively now have a week off from first-team duty with Henderson expected to start in cup games against Manchester City and Watford over the next seven days.
There is no denying the enormous potential of Henderson in the years to come, yet it is his mentor De Gea who deserves credit for not only rising to his challenge this season but excelling under it.
It looks like many of us owe Solskjaer an apology
M.E.N. football writer Richard Fay