Having been thrashed 7-0 by Liverpool last weekend, the 4-1 victory over Real Betis on Thursday night was the perfect response from Manchester United. Not only did Erik ten Hag's side bounce back from their disappointing defeat with a convincing win, they also took a commanding lead in the Europa League tie ahead of the second leg next week.
It was, in many ways, the perfect evening for United. However, David de Gea, who was making his 526th appearance for the club, once again made headlines for his unconvincing kicking display in the Europa League triumph.
With the score perfectly poised at 1-1 in the latter stages of the first half, the Spanish shot-stopper kicked the ball straight at Betis' Juanmi, who picked out his side's goalscorer Ayoze Perez. Thankfully for United, Bruno Fernandes was able to half-block the shot from the man on loan from Leicester City and the ball bounced across goal and off a post before eventually being cleared.
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After the game, Ten Hag admitted he can't turn a blind eye to De Gea's unconvincing kicking display. He did, however, stress that the Spaniard - who recently set a new club record for clean sheets - is still an important player for his team, before reiterating that he will have to address his kicking issue.
"From today I can’t ignore it, but I think we have seen many games he did really well," said the United boss. "I don’t know what the reason was. There was a lot of wind, a different ball, probably he had some problems with that, but I know we can deal with it and he will do better Sunday [against Southampton].
"We work on that but David is working on that. But I think we have seen in this season that he is improving and he will keep improving, I’m sure."
De Gea, who picked up his fifth major honour with United when they won the Carabao Cup last month, has often come in for criticism during his time at Old Trafford. He is technically out of contract in the summer, but United have the option of an additional year to keep him at the club until 2024.
While discussions are taking place over a new deal for the 32-year-old, it remains to be seen if Ten Hag will want to go into next season with De Gea as his No.1. The Reds are being linked with a host of new shot-stoppers, including Brentford ace David Raya, who has already turned down two fresh contract offers from the Bees.
Speaking last year, De Gea insisted he feels very comfortable playing with the ball at his feet, despite often getting criticised for his inability to do so. While his shot-stopping quality has never been in doubt, he is under constant scrutiny for the standard of his kicking.
The goalkeeper claimed that he can play with the ball, and hinted it could be United's struggles in maintaining a good press and high-line that make things difficult for him and the defence.
"What a goalkeeper has to do is to stop goals going in; that's the most important thing," he told UEFA. "And then, if you have the talent or the quality to be able to play with your feet and have good vision, that's phenomenal. I feel very comfortable playing with my feet, playing out from the back, following the lead of my team, but it depends on the coach and the style of play."
"[With Spain we] play with a very high defensive line. I've played this way since I was in the youth teams. [At United] we try to play with a high line, but some players are very fast and very talented, and if the pressing is not good enough, you can have problems at the back.
"But for the goalkeeper, you need to be off your line, looking out for any potential pass in behind to be able to help your defence."
While United might have struggled for an identity last season, it is extremely clear how Ten Hag wants his side to play this campaign - and they are certainly on their way to achieving it. For example, as per WhoScored, the Reds make 9.6 interceptions per game and are being dispossessed on just 7.7 occasions per game this season.
It shows that the Reds are competent when it comes to regaining possession and that they are excelling in retaining the ball when they retrieve it. For De Gea, it means that he is likely to see more of the ball at his feet than he might have done in previous seasons.
Since Ten Hag was appointed United manager, his players have also improved how well they press their opponents. There is a clear approach under the Dutchman, and it certainly helped them win their first trophy since 2017 in February. While De Gea might have been able to reference the Reds' pressing in recent campaigns, it is more difficult to use it as an excuse this term.
Both he and his manager know that he needs to improve his kicking, and there is a real argument to suggest that an inability to do so could potentially result in his departure from Old Trafford. For now, though, it is important his teammates continue to help him out where possible - and continuing to press well, as the goalkeeper called for in 2022, will go a long way in doing that.
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