Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has ripped into “naïve” David de Gea’s role in his side’s humiliating four-goal loss at Brentford on Saturday evening.
It was a disastrous afternoon for the Red Devils as they slumped to a heavy defeat against the Bees, with Josh Dasilva, Mathias Jensen, Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo scoring four goals in the space of 25 first-half minutes to leave United reeling.
De Gea made errors for each of Brighton ’s goals the previous week; failing to cut out a ball across the face of goal for the opener before palming the second into the path of Pascal Gross for a tap-in. But those errors were not on the scale of his showing at Brentford.
The first goal which started United’s collapse was him failing to stop a simple shot from outside the box, that could and should have been stopped with both hands. Inexplicably, it went through his gloves and into the net – prompting the collapse. Minutes later, his pass to Christian Eriksen inside the area was swiftly seized upon by the incoming Brentford forward, resulting in the Bees doubling their lead. De Gea was weak, flapping and ineffective for Brentford’s third from a corner.
When quizzed that Eriksen was not accustomed to playing as a holding midfielder, when discussing the second goal, Ten Hag responded: "Yes, but he didn't have to receive the ball there, because we give options and the players have to choose but we said play long, invite them and play long.
"I don't want to play from the back when it's not possible. It was naive how we played today, you have to play more direct. We attracted them, the space was high up the pitch, you have to do that option but that is what we didn't do."
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After United loaned out Dean Henderson to Nottingham Forest this summer, coupled with the retirement of Lee Grant, the only other goalkeeper in Ten Hag’s squad is Tom Heaton. It is now a serious possibility that United attempt to sign a new goalkeeper to challenge the Spaniard’s position as first choice goalkeeper in the final weeks of the transfer window.
De Gea said after the match, fronting up to reporters: "I think I cost my team three points today. It was a poor performance from myself. After the first mistake and then the second, it was very tough to be playing and it was a horrible day.
"Of course, we should react better but the moment we are living now is tough, every time we concede a goal. I should've saved the first shot and probably the result would be different."
