Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has told the club website he is pleased with David de Gea‘s current form.
Ten Hag says he is happy with De Gea’s footwork and passing ability in addition to his excellent criticism.
This was widely regarded as a weakness in De Gea’s game, which Ten Hag and his coaching staff has worked to fix.
Ten Hag says De Gea deserves credit – but also pointed to the role of Manchester United’s outfield players for helping him to succeed by making life easier for him.
Teammates key to David de Gea improvement
Ten Hag says he expects De Gea to get better with each and every game and is pleased with his progress.
He said: “For me, for a goalkeeper, you have to protect the goal and make sure you don’t concede goals. In that fact, he is magnificent.
“On the feet, for me, he has the capabilities as well. I think when you see this season, he is progressing from game to game on that part. And that has to do not only with the keeper.
“It has also to do with the ones in front, how you give the keeper the options to bring passes in, because when they don’t run free, or in the wrong moments, or in the wrong positions, then he doesn’t have the options to pass around.
“But I am convinced he can do it and I think the games so far prove that. I think he will improve from game to game on that part.”
De Gea at 31 is showing it’s never too late to change his game, and he is benefitting from the new management.
His contract expires at the end of the season and no decision has yet been made on his future.
But at the very least, De Gea is giving himself a fighting chance of earning a contract extension, ahead of a decision to be made later in the season.
Manchester United are reported to be scouting new goalkeepers, The Athletic report.
De Gea was recently left out of Spain’s World Cup squad, and the extra time on the training pitch can only benefit his goal of continuing to improve and earning a new United deal.
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