The Ultimate Shakeup: Andre Onana Set to Revolutionize Man Utd's Goalkeeping Fraternity, Leaving De Gea in Limbo

David De Gea's position as a beloved figure at Manchester United is secure, having spent 12 years at the club. However, his departure cannot solely be attributed to his age, contract demands, and concerns about his performance. It is also rooted in the difficulty of adapting to the evolving role of the goalkeeper.

De Gea possesses an impressive collection of standout moments, with his memorable display against Arsenal in 2017 being just one example. Acting as the final line of defense in a frequently vulnerable backline, there were instances where his agile physique alone prevented United from experiencing humiliation.

He secured his fourth consecutive Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award that season, underscoring his exceptional performance. By analyzing the expected-goals data, it became evident that his contributions resulted in preventing a remarkable 13.7 goals. This statistic potentially played a vital role in the team's potential placement, making all the difference between securing a second-place finish and forfeiting a spot in the coveted Champions League competition.

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However, that was five years ago.

Since then, numerous impressive saves have been made, but his performance has been average overall. De Gea has allowed more goals than anticipated based on the shots he has faced in most of the past five seasons. This is not ideal for someone known for their exceptional shot-stopping ability.

The recent error made against West Ham was unfathomable, with the failure to prevent Ilkay Gundogan's winning goal in the FA Cup final becoming even more costly. According to goalkeeping analyst John Harrison, Premier League goalkeepers would have saved that shot 81 percent of the time.

Erik ten Hag consistently expressed that there was a mutual desire for De Gea to remain at the club. Considering the challenges the Dutchman encountered during his initial season at Old Trafford, it is understandable that he focused on making changes in other areas.

But it's not surprising that he sees this switch as a chance. Andre Onana embodies everything that De Gea is not.

The 27-year-old goalie received accolades from Pep Guardiola ahead of the Champions League final. "Onana makes it extremely challenging to execute a high press," said the Manchester City manager. "You can't press the goalkeeper effectively." He pointed out this as the crucial distinction between playing against Inter in Istanbul and United at Wembley.

The greatest contrast lies in his skill with the ball at his feet. Therefore, it was not De Gea's mistake at Brentford during Ten Hag's first away game that was concerning, but rather his cautious use of the ball during that match.

This eventually led to Ten Hag having to alter his tactics. Last season, De Gea played 48 per cent of his passes long, surpassing both Ederson from Manchester City and Alisson from Liverpool. The United manager had to find a way to adapt due to the restrictions of his goalkeeper.

Now he can return to his preferred style.

Frans Hoek, a fellow Dutchman and former Manchester United goalkeeper coach, once suggested that all goalkeepers can be categorized into two types. Regardless of their skill level, they are either proactive (A-type) or reactive (R-type) goalkeepers.

De Gea belonged to the top tier in the latter category, but the current inclination is towards favoring the former. In a discussion with Hoek in 2020, he addressed this by stating, "The evolving requirements in the game affect our expectations of a goalkeeper. So, how can we successfully incorporate that?"

Hoek, who served as De Gea's goalkeeper coach at United for two seasons, made efforts to assist him in developing his skills, particularly in terms of being more adept with ball control and involvement in both defensive and offensive plays. However, De Gea faced considerable pushback in embracing this transformation.

Hoek shared, "Throughout my 12-year tenure at Ajax, the ratio of isolated and integrated training was approximately 50-50. Initially, I strongly believed in the significance of isolated training and continued with that approach. However, over time, the balance shifted to around 70-30 in favor of integrated training.

"Upon my arrival at Manchester United, the focus on team training significantly increased to about 80-90%, while individual training without the rest of the team accounted for only 10-20%. It is worth noting that the goalkeepers were not particularly fond of this change."

The experience was completely unfamiliar to them. Their stubbornness stemmed from a singular focus on game progression. However, they soon realized that practicing alone was not yielding any improvement. In fact, it was exacerbating their skills.

Even at present, De Gea opts to trust his instincts. He finds solace in staying on his goal line, not just when dealing with crosses. Compared to the other 12 goalkeepers who made 30 appearances in the Premier League last season, he had the lowest number of accurate 'keeper sweepings, tallying only 11.

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In today's game, prioritizing possession like never before, simply sweeping the ball off the line is no longer enough. It is crucial for defenders to actively participate in the team's build-up play, effectively integrating themselves into the defense. By doing so, defenders can confidently step up, thereby generating advantageous numerical advantages in other areas of the pitch.

Onana excels in this aspect while De Gea, based on Second Spectrum data, ranked below the top 20 goalkeepers in the Premier League last season for passes completed beyond expected outcomes considering the available choices. Jason Steele, from Brighton, claimed the highest position in that ranking. At 32 years old, Steele's career has mainly been in the Championship. The fact that Roberto De Zerbi, the coach, favored him over Spanish international Robert Sanchez highlights the changing priorities of today's Premier League coaches.

Onana's presence brings new opportunities for United, paving the way for potential advancements. While there may be occasional uncomfortable situations and errors that may support the notion of a safer approach, anticipate United's build-up play to resemble that of the most triumphant teams.

The tactics previously labeled as long-ball, as described by Guardiola, have the potential to transform. It will bear resemblance to Ten Hag's approach, aligning with the style that has become customary in modern football. Despite the cherished memories at Old Trafford, this style aligns more with Andre Onana rather than David de Gea.