Man United's David de Gea kept a clean sheet against Brentford but his efforts with the ball at his feet were once again on full display.
De Gea has poor ball handling at his feet
In the 66th minute of Manchester United's match against Brentford, David de Gea said he had hit the ball long.
The defense pushed down the field and De Gea passed the ball high, only to find Ethan Pinnock, who headed the ball toward Ivan Toney, who unexpectedly created a scoring opportunity for Brentford's Kevin Schade.
Unsurprisingly, as Pinnock headed home past Jadon Sancho, Toney deftly dribbled past Lisandro Martinez and Schade one-on-one with De Gea. This whole process takes place in just 10 seconds. Schade tried to finish by putting the ball past De Gea, but the goalkeeper saved it. Schade is yet to score in the Premier League and the majority of strikers in the league will not squander that opportunity.
Although there were only 10 seconds between De Gea's kick-off and save, this little paragraph summed up his professional career:
He's poor with the ball, but he's an excellent saver.
Erik ten Hag, speaking in his post-match press conference, praised De Gea for rushing in to deny Schade but it was he who created the problem. The game goes by like a fireman putting out a fire he just lit. De Gea looked uncomfortable every time he was served on the ground and he also nearly made another mistake against Brentford, when he tried to clear the ball in the first half, only for Toney to attempt a save.
The ball grazed the post and De Gea was visibly relieved because in another match, he could have shot the opponent's net. Gasps can be heard in the crowd at the moment and there are clear signs that fans are divided over his future.
De Gea is out of contract at the end of the season and he is currently in talks to extend with reduced terms, but an increasing number of fans want him to leave when his contract expires.
De Gea can often create his own problems
There's no denying that De Gea was an outstanding waiter at Old Trafford. He has made over 500 appearances for the club and was indeed the best goalkeeper in the world for a while, but there is a feeling that a departure this summer could be for the best.
The 31-year-old joined United from Atletico Madrid in June 2011 and the demand for his position has grown in the 12 years since. An elite goalkeeper must be good with the ball and De Gea hasn't developed at the pace he needs.
De Gea is still a great marksman, who has been seen throughout the season, but other aspects of his play, such as his erratic distribution, lack of confidence with the left side of the ball. ball and poor aerial ability, are obvious problems.
Ten Hag wanted his team to play in defence and that was the goal in his rebuilding, but his goalkeeper was unable to do so. De Gea has had time to improve in this area, but it's just a square peg in a round hole.
His incompetence with the ball at his feet has been pointed out many times and it is starting to affect the results. It's no secret that De Gea lacks short-ball skills and opposing teams see his possession of the ball as a pressing factor.
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