It’s time to analyze what happened during the 2018-19 season for Manchester United. And for that, we will go checking each players individually to rate their performances, give a brief summary of what happened over the course of the campaign, and assess the role of the player in the upcoming campaign — if he stays with the club:
Let’s begin with David De Gea. The Spanish goalkeeper was one of Manchester United’s most consistent players during the entire campaign. But his performances decreased down the stretch and offered some very poor displays between April and May. But he still ranked as the side’s best goalkeeper, and should remain on that role if he ends up staying with the club for another year.
Appearances across all competitions
De Gea was Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper when fit, and only missed a few games due to rotation. All things considered, he started every single Premier League match although his record was not very positive. The Spain international conceded 54 goals (1.42 per game) and only kept seven clean sheets. He also made nine Champions League starts, allowing nine goals but conquering three shutouts as well.
Counting all competitions, De Gea made 47 matches and conceded 63 goals, good for an average of 1.34 goals allowed per match. He kept 10 clean sheets as well, but that’s not enough. Not for a player of his caliber.
Did he perform above or below the expectations?
It’s hard to analyse De Gea’s overall performance in the 2018/19 season given the fact that most of the time, the whole defence was responsible for the goals he conceded. De Gea did what he could, but he couldn’t keep the ship afloat on his own. However, it must be noted that the Spaniard experienced a dip on his form during the final weeks of the season. Probably his worst moment was in the Champions League’s quarterfinals against FC Barcelona; De Gea had direct responsibility in one of the goals during the return leg.
That’s the issue with De Gea. Despite being 28 years old, he remains relatively mistake-prone. That’s not good considering the exposure of Manchester United. But to be fair, a leaky defence like the one the club had last season isn’t going to help much, either.
Will he be a part of Manchester United during the 2019-20 season?
It’s hard to say what’s going to happen with De Gea. The Spaniard is under contract, but Real Madrid want to sign him this summer, and it seems the shot-stopper wants to return to Spain as well. Plus, De Gea’s demands to sign a new deal at Old Trafford are borderline absurd. He wants to be the
best-paid goalkeeper in the world, but he hasn’t performed like that over the past 12 months.
It would be benefitial if he stays. But if the player decides to try his luck elsewhere, then now it’s the time to part ways with him. Especially if he doesn’t want to play for United anymore.
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