The power has gradually shifted towards the Etihad from Old Trafford over the last decade. Manchester United's decline has been made worse by Manchester City's newfound dominance. It has been an exhausting 10 years for United supporters.
United have stagnated throughout that period. They have hopelessly stood motionless and they are now drifting down the Premier League table. The latest Manchester derby humiliation suggested the gulf in quality between United and City is wide as ever and lessons need to be learnt to restore the club back to where it should be. United fans deserve more than mediocrity.
There is a summer of change coming. Whether that change is radical enough to avert the direction the club is heading remains to be seen, but a new manager will arrive at Old Trafford and there will be departures from the playing squad. There are five out-of-contract players set to leave and there are others under contract that also want an exit. Carrington hasn't been a joyful place.
ALSO READ: Manchester United's David de Gea ranks lowest in key Premier League goalkeeping stat.
The next manager - Erik ten Hag was interviewed for the position last week - will have to immediately assess the state of the club upon his appointment and that includes reviewing transfer policy. There are players at United that are also out of contract next summer and decisions will have to made on their futures sooner than later. David de Gea falls under that bracket.
De Gea's contract at United expires in the summer of 2023 and on this season's performances he's got a strong hand at the negotiation table. De Gea asserted himself as the club's No.1 again this term after an uncertain period with Dean Henderson challenging for that role and he's gone on to become United's standout performer in a bleak, miserable campaign.
De Gea has produced an extensive catalogue of saves ranging from breathtaking to sensational this season - his personal highlight reel would make for excellent viewing. He's single-handedly won United points and kept scorelines respectable when the players ahead of him haven't delivered, which has been all too often. United would be further down the table without him.
It's therefore jarring to suggest that United shouldn't extend De Gea's contract and to suggest the 31-year-old should be sold this summer instead. De Gea has been a wonderful servant to the club and he's deservedly earned praise this season, but his credentials as a modern-day goalkeeper at an elite club are beyond dubious. The position has evolved during his stint at United.
The distribution of a goalkeeper is now a key area. The position has changed and De Gea hasn't. While the Spaniard is a world-class shot-stopper, his distribution is awful and not good enough for a modern-day goalkeeper playing at a club with aspirations to challenge for major honours. De Gea is wasteful in possession and unable to find a teammate when on the ball.
This puts United at a significant disadvantage. De Gea often invites pressure back onto his side with weak clearances when other goalkeepers would have the quality to orchestrate transitions. It's a cliche but the goalkeeper does set the tone.
Luis Enrique has consistently snubbed De Gea during his time as Spain's manager and that speaks louder than words. Brighton's Robert Sanchez recently withdrew from the Spain squad during the ongoing international break and there was still no room for De Gea.
Barcelona B goalkeeper Arnau Tenas, 20, was called up to replace Sanchez instead.
There should be no room for sentimentality when the next manager reviews De Gea's future and takes an opinion on United's goalkeeping situation. There is a reason why Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola fought hard to sign Alisson Becker and Ederson respectively: both managers are forward-thinking and they understand what qualities are needed in a goalkeeper.
There should be lessons learnt from both managers' decisions regarding their goalkeepers and particularly from Guardiola's. Joe Hart had spent 10 years at City before Guardiola arrived in the summer of 2016. Hart was adored at the club, held in the regard De Gea is at United, but Guardiola knew he wasn't the goalkeeper to take the club forward. There was a ruthless and cold decision to be made.
Hart has since accepted it was the correct decision for the direction that Guardiola wanted to steer the club towards. There are obvious parallels between where Hart found himself six years ago and where De Gea finds himself right now.
It feels wrong to highlight De Gea's flaws after his teammates have let the club down this term and he hasn't. But De Gea will hold United back if receiving another contract, even if that's difficult to accept after his brilliant season.
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