ONE of the many skills Sir Alex Ferguson had as a manager was spotting when a player’s time was up.
Not his career, just his time at Manchester United.
David De Gea should now be succeeded by England’s World Cup hopeful keeper Dean HendersonCredit: The Mega Agency
Man Utd legends David Beckham and Roy Keane were sent packing when legendary boss Alex Ferguson felt the time was right
When he had reached his peak and was starting to fall over the other side.When little errors crept in.
When they started costing points.
No matter what they had done for the club in the past, there was no sentimentality.
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Ask David Beckham, whose levels had dropped as the celebrity half of his life started to take over and he was shipped out to Real Madrid.
Others from the Class of ’92, like Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, became surplus to requirements but still played in the top flight for Newcastle and Everton respectively.
They just were not good enough for Manchester United.
Roy Keane’s ignominious end after he had called out his team-mates on a never-to-be-aired MUTV programme, is perhaps the most infamous example of Fergie acting.
He would have let it pass had it been a year or two earlier but injury problems were starting to mount.
Keane went on to play 13 games for Celtic and that was it.
Ferguson did not always get it right and admits he got rid of Jaap Stam too early in 2002.
He denies the player’s autobiography, which revealed a bit too much from behind the scenes for the manager’s liking, had anything to with it.
His decision to allow Ruud van Nistelrooy to leave was based more on a personal issue than his goal-scoring ability.
The Dutch ace fired a verbal volley at Fergie when he refused to bring him on in the 2006 League Cup final.
But in general, Ferguson knew when a player’s edge had gone.
Now it is time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to put any sentiment to one side and make a big and bold decision.
To relieve David De Gea of his place as United’s No 1 goalkeeper and hand the gloves over to Dean Henderson for the rest of the season.
His error in conceding the crucial third goal in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig was the final straw.
Could you even call it an error? He just did not fancy the situation as the ball came across his six-yard box in the 69th minute.
Do not blame Harry Maguire — he let the ball go believing that any goalkeeper would already be off their line and ready to scoop it up.
Not De Gea, who appears to be nailed to his line when danger threatens.
As it was, he still had the chance to come out and smother the ball to deny Justin Kluivert.
He bottles it. He’s scared of getting himself hurt… It’s criminal for such an experienced goalkeeper.
Paul Scholes on David De Gea
Instead, he was half-hearted and turned his back on him.
United legend Paul Scholes was damning.
The former Red Devils midfielder said: “He bottles it. He’s scared of getting himself hurt. He turns his back away and makes himself smaller.
“It’s criminal for such an experienced goalkeeper.”
At three goals down there was no coming back and United were out of the Champions League.
Keane has long voiced his concerns about the Spaniard, who has played over 400 times in ten seasons at the club.
He used to be one of those keepers, like Peter Schmeichel, who save you 12 points a season.
Now he is costing United.
Time and again last season Solskjaer had to defend him.
Yet even he could not find words of support when he cost United a place in last season’s FA Cup final.
A weak, low shot from Mason Mount squirmed through his fingers to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead on the way to a 3-1 semi-final win at Wembley.
Henderson returned to Old Trafford in the summer after a successful season on loan at Sheffield United.
But it will surely have been safe in the knowledge he was on the brink of becoming No 1.
Otherwise he would have insisted on another loan move, with his eyes on next summer’s Euros with Gareth Southgate’s England.
The problem, of course, is that De Gea, who has just turned 30, will not want to play second fiddle — but who would buy him?
In September 2019 he signed a new four-year contract with the option on the club’s side for a further year.
His new wages are £350,000 a week. Who else is going to pay that?
The Manchester derby this Saturday is make or break for Solskjaer in the eyes of many fans in the red half of the city.
The manager needs to be bold. He needs to take another leaf out of Fergie’s book.
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