United must prove worth to WORLD No1
REDS MUST BECOME A TEAM DAVID DE GEA DESERVES
CHRIS Smalling had seen it before. David de Gea defying logic and making another jaw-dropping save to keep United in it against Young Boys.
It’s nothing new to the defender, who has played in front of the Spaniard for seven-and-a-half years.
Was it any wonder he did not look that surprised?
“I’ve not seen the replay but I remember just seeing it at the time and it looked like it was behind him, and I think there was a little ricochet that went, so that would have just summed up our luck if that went in,” Smalling told reporters post-match.
Shortly after Smalling’s audience with reporters in the mixed zone, the man of the moment, De Gea, passed through with pal Juan Mata. It is so rare that the keeper speaks to the media that it is pointless even asking the question.
De Gea is not one for publicity, a calm presence on and off the field, and he knows the inevitable will again rear its head if he stops to talk to the press – his future.
That was clear ahead of United’s clash with Young Boys in Bern back in September when De Gea was put up by the club to speak to journalists. On their terms, obviously.
Before the press conference even got under way, United’s press officer warned De Gea ‘does need to get ready for training so we’ll take four questions.’
Bear in mind, Jose Mourinho had not yet spoken to the press and United’s squad were not due out for the warm-ups and open training for a while yet.
Given how each of De Gea’s answers would be translated, ‘wasting’ precious minutes for the travelling Manchester pack, it was not long before reporters asked the awkward questions.
After an opening query about the artificial pitch at the Stade de Suisse, De Gea was asked about signing a new contract and his traumatic World Cup. Talk about softening him up.
De Gea handled both questions expertly and while stopping short of addressing a new deal, directly, he insisted he was ‘really happy’ at Old Trafford.
Central to that has been the support of United’s fans who have given him huge ovations at difficult times – his teething problems settling in, after coming so close to joining Real Madrid, when he was hammered in his homeland for his performances at the World Cup. With De Gea’s partner, Edurne, having since relocated to Manchester, the key now is for United to continue to match his ambitions.
Mourinho said as much after the win against Young Boys. “He is the best goalkeeper in the world and, if our ambitions are to be a big club, to be a winning club, you need the best goalkeeper in the world – and you need also some other players the best in the world,” he told reporters.
Mourinho wants to see United follow in Juventus’ footsteps as a ‘big club with a big past but with also a big desire to have a big future.’
The irony being, of course, he has already spent more than £370m and made statement signings like Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez.
For United, it is not necessarily about spending another £300m but
Ciaran Kelly It would be a football tragedy if the only trophy De Gea wins is that sole Premier League in 2013
reassuring de Gea he would be making a wise decision to commit his peak years to the club past 2020.
Ed Woodward is not one for speaking publicly but some of his recent statements ahead of speaking to investors on the New York Stock Exchange have United’s future in mind.
There has been a not so subtle shift when it comes to speaking about on-field matters and how United’s financial strength is enabling them to ‘continue to attract and retain top players and to invest in our academy.’ De Gea will have very much been in mind with that statement and the 28-year-old deserves better than having to dig his team out against a side without a win in the Champions League, a side who have only scored two goals in the group stages this season.
It would be a football tragedy if the only title De Gea wins is that sole Premier League trophy in 2013. When he was only 22.
United have to prove that will not be the case for a man destined to become a club legend.