Erik ten Hag has earned a reputation for making tough decisions as Manchester United manager this season, such as sanctioning the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in November and dropping out-of-form captain Harry Maguire. But his ongoing faith in goalkeeper David de Gea could cost the club a place in next season's Champions League.
United have other areas of concern, such as scoring just three goals in their past six games. But, by failing to drop De Gea, Ten Hag risks allowing the club to fall back into the rut of rewarding mediocrity rather than displaying the ruthless streak that provides the backbone of every successful team.
Sunday's error from De Gea during United's 1-0 defeat at West Ham United, when he was beaten by a weak Said Benrahma shot from 20 yards, was the latest costly mistake that he has made in recent weeks. What was once a rarity is becoming the norm for the 32-year-old. Yet, despite his declining form, sources have told ESPN that United remain committed to extending De Gea's stay at Old Trafford into a 13th season -- although not necessarily as the club's No. 1.
Only two goalkeepers -- Gavin Bazunu and Alex McCarthy, who both play for bottom club Southampton -- have a worse save percentage in the Premier League this season than De Gea's 68%. And yet the United No. 1 is also leading the race to win the Golden Glove award for most clean sheets with 15 shutouts -- two more than Alisson, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale. Nothing quite sums up the enigma of De Gea than those two starkly contrasting statistics.
On the one hand he has become a liability in Ten Hag's United team. The West Ham error came less than a month after the Europa League exit against Sevilla when three De Gea mistakes led to a 3-0 quarterfinal second-leg defeat. But De Gea can also produce moments of incredible agility and reflexes, making match-winning saves to support those who believe he is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Yet De Gea's inconsistency is now the only consistent element of his game and United's outfield players are performing without the reassurance that comes with having a goalkeeper at the top of his game.
