Gary Neville believes that David de Gea could be on borrowed time at Manchester United - as Erik ten Hag will not persevere with players who do not have the capability to play out from the back.
Ten Hag has found success after adopting a more pragmatic approach in recent weeks following a difficult start to life in the Premier League. But the Dutchman saw a run of four consecutive league victories come ended emphatically by Manchester City, who cantered to a 6-3 win over their rivals in Sunday's Manchester derby.
And while it remains to be seen if Ten Hag will react to the defeat by immediately reverting to the more expansive type of football he enjoyed great success with during his time at Ajax, the United chief's long-term strategy is unlikely to be the counter-attacking style that United have utilised in recent weeks.
And Neville believes that will ultimately prove to be bad news for any stars who are unable to cope with the demands of that style of play - including De Gea.
The Spanish shot-stopper has been a key player for Manchester United in recent years and was even crowned as the club's Player of the Year last term. But De Gea has looked uncomfortable playing out from the back during the early weeks of Ten Hag's reign.
Reports have suggested that Ten Hag has already been searching for a long-term successor to De Gea who is capable of thriving in an expansive team - and Neville believes that the long-serving goalkeeper will not last long under United's new boss.
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He told the Gary Neville podcast that he believes that teams are unlikely to achieve success with a counter-attacking style: "I think we're seeing less success with that type of football.
"Other than Leicester City, can you think of a team that has not dominated possession most of the time that have won this league in the last 15-20 years? Not really now, you don't see it. You have to be a really proactive team, on the front foot, pressing, doing all the right things.
"I think [Ten Hag's] had to step back to go forward, I think he's had to regroup and that's no problem. But we all know where Erik ten Hag wants to get this United team to. He wants 75 per cent possession, he wants players that can handle the ball. Not just actually in the middle of midfield but defenders can handle the ball, the goalkeeper needs to be brilliant on the ball.
"And I suspect with David de Gea, his career at Manchester United is probably going to be short-lived under Erik ten Hag because he's absolutely going to be adamant that his philosophy of playing out from the back, playing through midfield, playing those little risky passes that we see City and Ederson do all the time that we no longer see as risky because they do it so well, is something that he's striving for and wants to get to."
