David De Gea, in Paul Scholes' opinion, cannot play in the style Erik ten Hag wants to impose at Manchester United.
On Thursday night, Ten Hag's team suffered a humiliating three-goal loss to Sevilla, ending their European campaign. The troubled De Gea was at fault for each of the three goals, but most notably for the third goal when he air-kicked a clearing to allow the hosts an open goal.
On a miserable night for United, who could have easily lost the game by a larger margin, Yousef En-Nesyri scored on either side of Loic Bade's header. The outcome and manner of the performance will raise many concerns about the futures of many players, including De Gea.
The Spaniard's Old Trafford contract expires this summer, and despite ongoing talks about a renewal, nothing has been finalized as of yet. In order to replace De Gea, United has been linked to the recruitment of a goalkeeper this summer.
“He was making me nervous the whole night with the game he was having,” Scholes said on BT Sport after the match, analysing De Gea’s performance. “I think he was making the whole team nervous.
“Nobody knew if he was going to control it or try to clear it. I am still not too sure what he was trying to do.”
His fellow BT pundit Owen Hargreaves agreed, adding: “When he comes out, he 100 per cent does not know what he is going to do. He should just put his foot through it but he is indecisive. He tried to stop that ball dead under his foot, but that was impossible with that ball.”
Hargreaves continued: “De Gea is a brilliant shot-stopper who has been a tremendous servant to this football club. But he struggles with his feet and that has shown at times this season with how United are trying to play.
“Ten Hag wants his team to play out from the back and play. But the goals United c
onceded came from that. So it looks like he is not fit for that philosophy.”
Scholes concurred, giving the impression that the Spaniard might be removed this summer and that the main issue was the type of performance that was expected of him: He was an excellent goalkeeper for this team, but he was never an excellent football player.
“This manager wants a footballer, so he is asking David to do something he is not comfortable with – that might make him nervous.
“He kicked the ball out of play under no pressure in the first minute and he was not coming for crosses. That is without talking about the goals. He needed to calm the game down and he did not.”
Ten Hag said after the match on his goalkeeper: “David de Gea as a long-term goalkeeper? He is the one with the cleanest sheets in the Premier League."
"Tonight we weren't good enough, that was obvious, that was clear," Ten Hag told reporters.
"I have to acknowledge (the lack of fight), it's the truth, it's hard, it's tough, it's unacceptable."
The Red Devils suffered a resounding thrashing at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan after a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the quarterfinal match at Old Trafford.
A rowdy atmosphere was produced by home fans. After Harry Maguire made a mistake and Youssef En-Nesyri scored after seven minutes, the visitors never seemed to have a chance to get back into the game.
Early in the second half, Loic Bade scored with a header, and after a David de Gea blunder, En-Nesyri added another.
Even though Sevilla is struggling in La Liga, currently in 13th place and yet in danger of being demoted, the Andalusians outplayed and outfought Manchester United, who is currently third in the Premier League.
Manchester United only managed a distant Casemiro shot before failing to challenge Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
"We have to be better. It's not about playing skills, it's about character, to be composed and have desire and passion. They had more willingness to win and it can't be. I think that's unacceptable," added Ten Hag
Jose Luis Mendilibar, the coach of Sevilla, claimed that his team stuck to the game plan and prevented Manchester United from taking control of the match.
"Our idea was to press them when they had the ball at the back, I think it went quite well, we scored the first goal robbing the ball on the edge of their box," said the coach.
"Aside from the goals, I think that we stopped the opponent and they didn't play in any moment with comfort."
"I think we were superior...I think it was the merit of our players."
David De Gea's future
In light of the increasing scrutiny around David de Gea's position at Manchester United, Erik ten Hag emphasized his Premier League clean sheet record.
All three of Sevilla's goals might have been prevented had De Gea not rushed out of his area and mishandled an aerial ball that Youssef En-Nesyri swept in. De Gea was particularly at fault for Sevilla's third goal.
De Gea and United are negotiating a new contract that the 32-year-old goalkeeper is anticipated to sign. The one-year extension in De Gea's current contract has not been activated by United since doing so would need a big pay raise at a time when the team is likely to make the Champions League.
Sevilla has again highlighted De Gea's flaws this season, but the Spaniard still leads the league in clean sheets with 14, one more than Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope.
When United didn't make the Champions League last season, De Gea's £375,000 weekly compensation was reduced by 25%. De Gea's contract is up for renewal, but United wants to renegotiate it because he isn't as in demand as he was in 2015 and 2019.
United have allowed 37 goals in the Premier League this season, which is more than 11th-placed Chelsea, despite their excellent number of clean sheets.
The issue involving on-loan Dean Henderson complicates United's goalkeeping dilemma, He wanted to play against United this season because he was so angry about the way his former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handled him.
Henderson, 26, has been sidelined with a groin rupture for Nottingham Forest since January. He is still under contract with United through 2025, with an additional year option.
Tom Heaton, the backup goalkeeper, is out with a foot ailment right now, and his contract expires in the summer. At the conclusion of the season, Jack Butland's loan from Crystal Palace expires.
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