David de Gea has enjoyed some good form after getting his place in the first team back following an injury to Anders Lindegaard, who had replaced him in the starting XI.
The media became fixated with every mistake the younger keeper made, blowing them all out of proportion, but de Gea claims this only served to make him a better player.
“I did receive one or two bits of criticism at the start of the season,” said De Gea. “But it only served to make me a stronger person. It encouraged me to keep fighting and keep working hard. The important thing is not to let yourself get down because you can turn it around. Through hard work, I have waited for my chance and grabbed it. Fortunately now I am showing some good form. I hope this can continue right the way through until the end of the campaign. The time I spent on the bench helped me to reflect and think hard. It allowed me to regroup and made me more determined.”
Sir Alex Ferguson has said he wants David to put on a stone to help him bulk up to deal with the more physical aspect of the league. De Gea doesn’t think the English league is too different to Spain but claims the referees give goalies more protection in La Liga.
“The leagues are not too dissimilar in their style but English football is a little bit more physical and maybe a bit more aggressive,” he continued. “The challenges you face up to are tougher and referees let play go on more here than they do in Spain.”
Man Utd News 24/7
Good on you DDG. Bulk up, become a beast!
Never for a second was there any doubt he was anything short of world-class. Onwards and upwards!!
The Kid is only going to get bigger. His body won’t fully mature until about 25 and he’ll be able to get naturally stronger and maintain his reflexes.
In time you will be the best,just don’t come up with barca has always been my dream and stuff like that. the fans are behind you,your critics are getting silenced,your opponents have started respecting,you are on course to win two trophies in your first season. What more can you ask for?
I’ve said this about Danny, Chicha, Tom and De Gea. Every young player needs to be challenged. That’s when they prove what they are made of.
Costas – Hello mate. Spot on. I am impressed with De Gea’s attitude. He could easily have shrunk and become a VERY expensive flop but he hasn’t, he has got his swede round things and come out fighting. Fair play to the kid. The fucking media forget he is only 21. Look at the mistakes his Spanish counterpart Reina makes on a weekly basis but never get highlighted.
Evening cherubs
Dave, what a bloke!! Funny how non of the hacks who slaughtered him earlier in the season have dwelled on the string of impressive saves he’s pulled off recently! That save from the deflected shot at spurs was magnificent but it barely got a mention!!
King Eric – was speaking to James earlier, are we meeting in the Gorse on Sunday?
I never doubted you David
Amazing. You mean putting a player who is not doing well on the pine helped his motivation, self reflection and inspired him to get better. What a novel concept. Shouldn’t he have sulked, complained and caused a stir in the dressing room instead?
This DeGea guy must be different in some way.
@King Eric
Hi mate. I have liked De Gea’s response to his mistakes. Unlike PIG and Foster, he doesn’t seem to let them get to him. Like LoneStarRed said, there’s something different about him. When Linde started playing in January, I did predict that De Gea would reclaim his spot before the season’s end. I didn’t see Linde’s injury coming, but it looked like De Gea was on a much needed break at that moment.
top keeper shit beard!!
Top Keeper for many years. BUT if you make anymore mistakes we’ll drop you again
does anyone else have mature brasses popping up tonight???
The only fear is if his reaction time and agility dips were he to put on extra weight. Lets hope our trainers give him the right advice.
De Gea needs a mohawk, a box beard, his ears pierced, tear drop tatoo on his face and a Tyson-esque face tatoo, weigh 14 stone, a Six Pack, Viagra, Tighter shorts, tighter shirt, short sleeves, short socks, silver bracelet, needs to speak the romantic language that is French, a smile to melt the crowd, a strong back, flexibility, be sensitive, be a good listener and to top it all off advertise for Hugo Boss in his underpants with a sock down his bikini pants. Oh & to wear a thong on matchday.
Only then will he be considered my No.1 for Men United.
What marks a great youngster is how they deal with adversity. All keepers will have bad days and at United nobody ever lets you forget it. First and formost, David is a great stopper. But what let him down repeatedly was his lack of confidence to hold the ball.
Steal must be working on this aspect of the game as it has dramatically improved since he came back to the side in the last few weeks. Now he has collected himself and seems to be going from strength to strength.
I said it about the Spurs game, we were 1-0 up at the half for just one reason. Freidel didn’t deal with Youngs freekick and touched it over the bar, giving United a corner. This is what was happening with DeGea. He was punching clear or over for a corner giving the opposition another crack. You can only do that so many times before someone is going to punish you in this league. Lucky for us, we did take advantage v Spurs.
Here is some video of the Norwich game. David now has confidence back to hold on to shots. Some real belters as well. This means we are up the park instead of defending like mad men.
Summary? Top marks to David. But probably to Steal and the staff as well. This keeper is the real deal. We are very lucky to have him on present form. Hopefully, he takes Gary Neville to mind and keeps working every day to improve.
G Nev: “With a young player sometimes you hear people saying: ‘He’s made it.’ Our idea was that you’ve never made it.”
Video of David at Norwich….. Get in son!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOKeBzNXohc
Clint-iam…..
Haha, Men United!
gfunk
Not tonight, just accident claims! Scary stuff some of those mature dates, but, as Cedars found out, it’s your own fault for signing up with them, haha!
(Cedars, love you mate)
Mikekelly12
Hi mate, looks like i’ll be left facing Fannyboy on my own then! And he’s got “guards”!
(Knees knocking….)
Sorry for the miss type Steele ofcourse……. Sorry Eric
Evening mo fo’s i am getting a rise thinking about Giggs13Gerrad0, we are coming for city. All their fans I know have already starting turning getting worried, we are coming for the chav bastards and I for one love it.
United United United
The worm is turning:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/07/manchester-city-etihad-deal-improper
I’ve been “watching” Barcelona dismantle Bayer Leverkusen, one of the best teams in the Bundesliga.
Not only is Lionel Messi just a fantastic forward in terms of close-control at speed but his ability to shoot accurately is better than anyone I have EVER seen. RVP could learn a thing – or two – about chipping the keeper from him.
But, why does the other team [any other team !] seem to have anti-magnets that repel the ball, pass poorly, and concede space AS IF it’s ten outfield-players for Barcelona against six or seven ? Even without Alexis Sanchez and David Villa (and CaptainCaveman and Eric Abidal), they just roll on to the beat of their own drummer – keeping the ball on the floor and twisting-and-turning those nice little triangles that seem to mesmerize the opposition.
Messi just scored another chipped goal. What a GENIUS.
Denton
Mate think you confused this for a barca blog
DentonDavey, Cheers mate That finding by the Council of Europe is interesting but pretty sure it is not binding on fair play rules. Don’t UEFA of the FA need to make that call? Interesting case though and surely something to keep the eye on.
Just see the meeting between Citay and PSG “My prince has more than your prince” Mind boggles……..
It’s in the blood
I thought fanny boy was coming to meet us in the boozer on Sunday!!
Unbelievable! Superb! Genius! Best ever! We’re watching a modern day great! Yeah folks, Denzel Washington is a hell of an actor!
Messi’s a greedy bastard and the Nou Camp is fucking silent!! What a shut European tie! Old Trafford was bouncing when we were tearing Roma apart!!
Shit not shut, got my giggs12 sausage fingers on tonight!!
5 for Messi.
ITV is now the messi masturbation channel ( he is good ) but I dont recall all this fuss when united beat roma 7-1
10 for Zibbie!
Goodluck to the lads tomorrow
Mikey – I’m shut myself at you post!
Willie
Eyes wide shit
Good article on Bilbao’s manager in the Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/mar/07/marcelo-bielsa-athletic-bilbao-manchester-united
“When he arrived, Bielsa had watched their 38 league games last season, writing all the details on colour-coded spreadsheets. And that really is all the details – he says: “There are 36 different forms of communicating through a pass.” He watches thousands of games, building a footballing taxonomy, like some kind of botanist. If a player does something new, he labels and stores it, learning from it”
Madman, but this is the sort of tie I was looking forward to when we dropped into the Europa. Something different. Expect us to edge through again.
Mikey – Shit the door?
Sell United Buy Messi
Sack SAF, Bring in Rafa
Malcolm Malcolm sign him them up !
MG: Leaving the ROM helped me!?!
Breaking News Theo Walcott extract:
When I pray I pray to God that I don’t see Capello in my dreams because when he comes he comes like the Incredible Hulk. Every night I pray to God I ask him to forgive me choosing Arsenal over Manchester United, but in a way being Barcelona B is what maybe God intended for me. I understand that life is what you make of it, quite like a box of chocolates. I go to church and ask God for his advice how I can earn the right to Captain the shirt, because I was born to lead. I am like Spartacus or Maximus quite like John Terry in footballing terms. I just want to show everyone the way, I want to light paths want to create chances for everyone. I think I’m ready for the next level. I think I’m ready to be manager of Arsenal.
Mike
Haha mate you know it, although I take my time these days to ensure my phone is not making me look a cunt.
Why do people assume bulking up will automatically make a goalkeeper better?. That position mostly relies on reflex and agility and putting on excessive weight might affect that.
He could slightly improve his upper body strength to deal with the physical english game but his talents will come out on top.
Looks like clint is delving into the spaniards personal life. tattoos? six pack? wow, ain’t you an admirer?.
Gotta agree with denton. Messi truly is sublime. The most important part of a players ammunition is his end product. The composure and technical ability/Football brain is on a ridiculous scale. He seems impossible to stop in that Barca team because they simply maneuver and dominate the ball for the entire game, they chase and put pressure on players when the opponents have got possession. I really pity the teams who will be out looking for ways to decimate the Barca mind boggling system.
I don’t think messi is as good for argentina because they don’t have that Barca system.
I think Barca also found their next opponents tonight. Platini won’t resist to draw them against the Cypriots.
Well played Apoel though!
Apoel General Manager:
In tears:
I would like to thank Costas Kebabopolous and MG for last nights kebabs
They sure did the trick today!
Night United 19
Basel vs Apoel Champions League Final 2011-12
@MG
If Bastos is indeed on Liverpool’s radar, we can see why. His penalty taking.
5 for Messi , 7-1 final. Where have I seen that before 7-1 in a CL tie?
Messi is a freaking alien. He is the Babe Ruth on modern football.
Clint , reading your post (your very descriptive post) reminds me of the part in Airplane! where the little boy tours the cockpit. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=42f_1190589017. I wonder if you want to take DeGea for a cockpit tour?
of not on Modern Football.
Must be lonely when you’re the lone star red….
Samuel – Im not going to lie, the boys oddly attractive
He’d look better with some muscles
The lone red star going through the desert on a horse with no name….
@ WillieRed
Not lonely here at all…..
Clint’s post on DeGea just looked like he pays VERY close attention to DDG. After reading I could picture Clint asking DDG if he likes gladiator movies or if he had ever been in a Turkish prison.
All in good fun so bring it. I can well defend myself .
On the heals of a really depressing piece from JimWhite at the Telegraph suggesting Pogba leaving is the sign of a club in decline. (won’t bother posting that link)
I much prefer the positive attitude of this article from….. of all places……TalkSport. You probably wont see another positive sentence penned over there for some weeks. I suggest you bomb over and see what they have to say about Sir Alex and the next run of youngsters.
Get in Larnell Cole and Ryan Tunnicliffe
“Sir Alex Ferguson rarely makes mistakes when he lets youngsters go so, as Paul Pogba flutters his eyelashes at Juventus and prepares to leave Old Trafford, United fans needn’t worry.”
Spot on from TalksSport. And ya won’t hear me say it often.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/features/2012-03-07/forget-pogba-these-man-united-teens-are-real-future-old-trafford
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2111767/Glen-Johnson-Patrice-Evra-clear-didnt-want-shake-Luis-Suarezs-hand.html?
Deary me!
Oh dear. Get Cedars on the case!
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Manchester-City-want-Robin-van-Persie-of-Arsenal-confirms-boss-Roberto-Mancini-article875339.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Fletch
Cheers. Excellent piece on the future of the United midfield. I guess that Fergie bloke might actually know what he is doing.
@willie
Johnson is a disgrace to his colour.
Fletch – re: the free kick that Freidel tipped over, I think it has gone unsaid by many that Welbeck’s pressure was partly responsible for that result. Had he just ran off like many forwards usually do conceding that the keeper was going to field the ball then Freidel could have probably risked trying to go up and catch it but instead he put in a bit of effort, sat right in front of Bald Brad and basically forced him to take the safe tip over so as to not risk bobbling that catch.
De Gea es en fuego!
Btw G12 is this the week that Fagboy finally shows up down at Sir Sam Platts?
Mikekelly12
Sorry for the delay in replying mate, got called away.
Yeah, we’re all supposed to be meeting him at that fine establishment owned and managed by Britains oldest man, one Samuel Platt.
You guys have obviously shut yourselves at the prospect of him arriving with his guards and have moved location, clearly petrified! Hahaha!
Neve rmind, i doubt he got his visa sorted anyway!
Either that or smartalex has already got to him.
Hang on, smartalex is on the missing list…. you don’t think…..nah….
FannyBoy? You guys still expect him to show up?
I saw sachu somewhere around here today, so you should ask him if he…I mean FannyBoy will show up on Sunday.
Costas@23.16
Yes, as was John Barnes when he was playing. Still is actually.
A lot of my black mates used to call him a bounty.
I think sachu kidnapped smartalex?
LoneStarRed Cheers mate.
JC My point is made better by the video. Don’t think there is much to argue about to be fair. When keepers hold the ball, the other team gets fewer chances. DeGea doing a much better job of it over last several games. Great keeper any day made even better by good coaching and a good head.
Never hear me say ott bad about Friedel. Just the facts that on that play, he holds on, United do not get a corner and the sides go in at HT level. Not a criticism of him, just hindsight of the play that leads to our first goal.
Wow, what’s with the live link to Costas in my last post?
Just cos of an @ ?
So he’s been spotted on here today eh mate? When?
Did he defend Suarez in this? I remember Paul Ince having a weird stance on the Terry incident.
Anyway mate, I don’t feel comfortable critisizing anyone on how they defend their race, but Johnson’s comments are deluded from top to bottom. Saying that Evra tricked Suarez into not shaking hands isn’t even the worst of the lot. At some point he accuses McGrath of being racist towards him!
I’ve read a lot of misguided opinions on the Evra case, but this must be the worst one yet.
@It’s in my blood
As for the link, like we say in the matrix, you just took the red pill.
I believe sachu made a comment at the Pogba thread earlier today.
WRN
Haha, Willie, alert the authorities!
Costas
Barnes took a Johnson sorta stance on it.
He was, from recollection often accused of selling out his own, by his own.
Red pill haha!
Can i have another and go on a Zibbie type trip?
For a kid at his age to keep senior goalkeepers on the bench, mind u they were highly regarded
keepers, even linked to United at some point, Thats what this kid did at Athelico Madrid.
He played in the cauldrons of bernabue and nou camp, against messi and the lot.
Fergie said they spotted peter chech when he was the same age but were not sure if he cud hack it,then the boy joins chelsea and the rest is history.
This time United took a long time but finally decided David is the man for us.
@Clint-imyourpapii at 20.19: Say dude, ehem ,cough cough, say what?
Looks like he has had the Fergie treatment, like Vidic before him and plenty of others.
When in doubt and getting plastered by everyone, Fergie is there with the right words and actions.
So far mix bag but its looking better now ,keep progressing kid.
It’s in my blood – Or maybe Dave Malaysia has smartalex in his house? You never know….
My @Clint-papii comment shud have been at the end of the page.
About the ‘Pogba thread’
@Willierednuts: Brilliant comment at @Darius C .
@samuel – united WE stand: Brilliant posts. Logic.
Willie , smartalex aint here , last i heard some typhoon heading for his place in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
he must be hunkering down.
SMARTALEX GET BACK IN HERE, TUAK APLENTY!
Dave Malaysia – No smartalex for weeks now? He’s MIA!
I think he is pissed off with the sachu and all that came with it.
Or he cud be with seal team six in the desert.
or @MG has him .
or @Cedars has him sunning and checking out those lebanese hotties.
Had to get off the other thread else I would have just gone on an F rant. On topic, full marks to De Gea for keeping the faith and working hard. He is not near VDS level yet but he will get there. And the lad is just 21 so he has still got his best years ahead of him.
Ole De Gea!!! Viva Chicharito!!!! and of course Viva MG!!!
No no Fletch I fully agree with you, I was just pointing out that Danny putting in a little extra effort to worry Freidel may have contributed to his decision to just tap it over instead of trying to make a catch. Wasn’t intending to sound argumentative was merely trying to expand on your point…