Man United were held to a 1-1 draw in the English Premier League by Tottenham Hotspur last week and David De Gea had another poor outing.
The Spanish keeper has on a steady decline over the past year or so and on Friday, his error helped the Lilywhites score their only goal of the game courtesy of Bergwijn.
And while David De Gea has been receiving constant criticism from all quarters, Man United legend Gary Neville has tried to explain his mental state as well as advice him on how to get back to his best.
“He was the one player United could rely upon for the last four years but he’s not the same,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast, as reported by Sky Sports.
“He hasn’t been the same for some time. When form drops for six months it’s a blip but when it goes on for a year you start to worry. When it goes over two years it becomes more permanent.
“That is now a fair representation of what De Gea is as he’s making lots of mistakes. Ones he would never make – he was always somebody you could completely rely upon. It can only be a confidence thing. The arms, legs and body are the same – it’s got to be the mind.
“The reception he’s got in Spain has affected him. He’s even been booed by Spanish fans when he’s wearing the Spanish shirt. In the World Cup in 2018 he really struggled and from that, he’s doubted himself. Mentally he’s not quite the same.
“He’s got to go back to basics. There’s only one thing you can do when you’re having a tough time: work. Work harder than you have ever done in your life.
“He has to do something to stop the erosion. Mistakes like that can happen on the first game back but it’s happening far too much over the past couple of years.
“He was the one player United could rely upon for the last four years but he’s not the same.”
Will De Gea be sold by Man United this summer?
Dean Henderson has been improving in leaps and bounds at Sheffield United and after Friday’s result, many pundits think Man United might finally be ready to part ways with David De Gea.
The Spanish keeper has clearly passed his peak form but if put up for sale, a lot of clubs will still want to sign him.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Solskjaer chooses to call back Dean Henderson from Sheffield during the summer and offload David De Gea before the 2020-21 season.
