De Gea shows the world who’s number one.
It’s my turn to pick a player of the season and I, as an amateur (and not very good) member of the goalkeeper’s union, have plumped for David de Gea. Yes, Van Persie has been magnificent, Carrick has been sumptuous and Rafael has been marauding. However, these three players have, in reality, only done what we expected and what we knew they could/should do. Not one of those players came into this season under the same scrutiny and pressure that our ‘keeper has. In fact, not one of these players has had to endure the same kind of scrutiny and pressure that our ‘keeper has all season! Quite simply, for such a young lad in an old man’s position, De Gea has been on another level. He’s been player of the season.
At the start of the season Ferguson himself seemed unsure of who his number one ‘keeper was and many young men would have crumbled under the pressure of being rotated. My player of the season didn’t though. He simply rolled up his sleeves up his ever growing forearms and biceps and made the jersey his own.
This season he has played twenty three times in the Premier League and kept nine clean sheets as United have won twenty six of thirty two fixtures. He’s made ninety-six league saves this season at an average of just over four saves a fixture. To the untrained this may not seem like anything special. However, when you realise that this is the exact same amount of saves as the media darling’s Joe Hart in thirty one City outings. That’s eight more fixtures to notch up the same amount of saves.
I think one of the things I especially love about De Gea is ability to use his feet to make saves. Some fans struggle with this but the reality is he could stop the ball going in the net with his patchy beard and we shouldn’t care. His feet, in my eyes, are as important as Van Persie’s on occasions. In fact, to compare the two, and away from the league, you have to ask who had the most effective use of feet in the away leg at Real Madrid? Where De Gea threw his feet at Fabio Coentrao’s shot to keep United in the game.
Many people’s player of the season, Van Persie, fluffed his moment of glory by scuffing his foot at a gilt edged chance. Then there was the last minute save he quite frankly had no right to make against Juan Mata in the cup semi final. That elongated leg kept us in the tie.
Sure, he’s made a few mistakes this year but you have to ask yourself who, in all honesty, hasn’t? Van Persie has. Carrick has. Rafael certainly has. The major difference here is that if they make an error it’s very quickly ignored. De Gea gets attacked for the smallest mistake yet takes every criticism on the chin, picks himself up and carries on. How many of pundits criticised him for his part in the dropped points at Spurs this season? Not as many as would dare lambast Van Persie for missing a sitter at the Bernabeau! The lowlight of the criticism for me was Carrick’s woeful back-pass to De Gea against Southampton which led to many criticising the young Spaniard! He deals with an awful amount of criticism and, as United fans, I feel you should vote for him for the player of the season in order to reward him for a great season in which he has truly excelled.
Your choice is a simple one. Vote De Gea!
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Micheal carrick
Everyone keeps praising Rafael for the way he marauds up field. But he takes his time to get back. But if you had watched Leicester on Friday and seen DeLaet ex United playing at full back. He was on the attack and took the ball to the oppositions bye line and centred. The ball was cleared to the left winger who was running flat out down the wing and withing five yards into the Leicester half DeLaet had caught him up and dispossed him. That is what you call a full back.
Not the one who looks good going forward but all round display
So great to see the media finally giving this boy some credit and acknowledge his huge potential. If given time to work on his earial weakness (not so obvious these days), then De Gea will become one of the greatest keepers ever. Mark my words
You’ve hit the nail on the head here, regarding the saves with his legs. I’ve been saying for ages that when Schmeichel used to save with his legs…or his chest…or any part of his body, it was labelled a genius save, and Schmeichel would be hailed for the way he’d make a save by getting anything on it.
DDG – if he does the same, some people think it’s shoddy. Definitely persecuted by the media and fans, but a very worthy contender for player of the year.
people who think carrick is poty are delusional.
de gea has been very consistent. he’s saved points. he’s won games. he’s always give it 100% despite everything said about him. he has the maturity and mentality to be a leader and command like van der sar did. personally i think he’ll be much better then van der sar.
I’d love to vote for De Gea, but I went with Carrick – simply because I don’t think he could’ve done anymore to stake a claim. De Gea’s lack of command in his penalty area still leaves a considerable void in our team that makes it difficult to press from the back; but all that you say of his qualities is true.
I think most take David for granted – as if his assured place at the club was an inevitability. But as you say – lesser figures would’ve crumbled in his circumstances. De Gea has proven that not only is he a top GK in the making, but a man of real discipline and character. If Carrick doesn’t get the award, I won’t accept anyone other than DDG.