De Gea admits brittle United get ‘panicky’
REDS CAN’T COPE WITH SETBACKS, SAYS KEEPER
DAVID de Gea admitted United’s players are still lacking confidence, despite the appointment of Erik ten Hag, and admitted his blunder cost the Reds the game against Brentford.
The Spaniard was at fault for the first two goals in the humiliating 4-0 defeat, allowing Josh Dasilva’s shot to squirm under his body and then playing his side into trouble as they attempted to pass out from the back, with Mathias Jensen scoring.
United fell apart after conceding the first goal at the Gtech Community Stadium and De Gea believes the team are unable to cope with setbacks, with confidence levels brittle after a wretched run of form.
In their previous four games dating back to last season - all lost they have conceded three goals in 11 minutes at Brighton, two goals in nine minutes at home to Brighton and now four goals in 25 minutes at
Brentford. This was also a seventh straight away loss in the top flight.
There had been promising signs in pre-season under Ten Hag, but De Gea admits the side have struggled once the pressure has ramped up and the real business has begun.
“It’s been a difficult few seasons, probably it’s still in our minds, when something goes wrong people a get panicky, it’s difficult. But we have to learn, we have a new manager, some new players, we need to be more positive, keep learning and improve,” he said.
“Sometimes in pre-season, it’s pre-season, there’s no pressure, you play for nothing. Then you play Premier League games, everything is different, teams put everything on the pitch, the teams are good, it’s not easy. We have to stick together as a team now, train even harder and even better, I can’t say more, to be honest.”
United are bottom of the Premier League after losing their first two games. Their only goal was an own goal last week and they’ve conceded six times already.
With confidence crushed they face the daunting prospect of an Old
Trafford fixture against Liverpool a week tonight, but De Gea believes a revival is just around the corner under Ten Hag.
“It’s about winning games, as soon as we win one game, two games, we’re going to start feeling better and more positive,” he said.
“We’re training really well, people are training hard, everyone is giving everything, to be honest, but then in the games we are not performing.”
Ten Hag told his players their first-half display had been ‘unacceptable’ during the break and De Gea admitted it had been a ‘horrible’ performance.
The keeper asked to speak to the local reporters after the game and, to his credit, took the blame for the first two goals. Ten Hag had told his players in pre-season he wanted them to take on more responsibility and the goalkeeper did just that at Brentford.
“I must take responsibility, I think I cost two points to the team today. That first goal cannot happen. As a team, we should react much better than we did, but I think I cost the team two points,” he said.
On the first goal, De Gea added:
“Sometimes you think it’s an easy ball and you don’t put the proper focus on the ball, that happens in football and in life, sometimes you make mistakes. Now the most important thing is to keep training well, keep training to help the team, but this was a horrible game.”
The second goal came when United tried to play out from the back, but they had already been under pressure when using that tactic and De Gea admits he should have changed his approach.
“I should read the game better, they were pressing really well and high so maybe I should play longer balls. But that’s football again, it happens today, for sure we’re going to learn, we have to learn and we have to play much better than today,” he said.
ERIK ten Hag maintains David de Gea is capable of adapting into a ballplaying goalkeeper for United.
The Spaniard is contracted to the Reds until next year and the club has the option of an additional year. Nottingham Forest do not have the option to buy the on-loan Dean Henderson, who saved a penalty and produced a stunning display yesterday as the Premier League newcomers beat West Ham 1-0,
“I am convinced he can do it,” Ten Hag said of De Gea’s struggles to adapt. “And it’s obvious the second goal, okay (he was at fault). He showed already I have seen in training and in the first games that he can do that.”
United are still looking to strengthen their squad, but Ten Hag said: “I don’t want to talk about it. I think about this performance, it was poor and I want to think about that and how we can sort it.”
When asked if he felt United’s form would put off targets, he added: “What I just said: I don’t think about that. I think the best to get out of this team and this moment is not my concern.”