David de Gea has been told that his Manchester United career will be a short-lived one under Erik ten Hag.
United had an afternoon to forget in the Manchester derby after falling to a 6-3 defeat at rivals City, with Pep Guardiola’s side racing into a 4-0 lead before the half-time whistle.
United got one back before both Erling Haaland and Phil Foden completed their hat-tricks to make it 6-1 to the champions.
Two late Anthony Martial goals softened the blow slightly in what was an embarrassing afternoon for the Red Devils.
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Although De Gea was not especially culpable for any of the goals scored by City, Neville feels the Spaniard’s time at United could soon come to an end due to his inability to play out effectively from the back.
The former full-back also suggested Ten Hag has had to change his approach due to the defeats by Brighton and Brentford at the start of the season.
He said on The Gary Neville Podcast: “I think we're seeing less success with that type of football.
“Other than Leicester, 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.”
Neville added: “But we all know where Erik ten Hag wants to get this United team to.”
The Sky Sports pundit then spoke about De Gea and his ability on the ball.
“He wants 75 per cent possession, he wants players that can handle the ball," he said.
“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.”
Since moving to Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid back in 2011, De Gea has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in world football and has made nearly 500 appearances for the club.
However, in recent years, his form has dipped below the high standards that he set a few years ago. This has led to question marks being raised over whether he should still be the No.1 at United.
Topics: Gary Neville, David De Gea, Manchester United
Marcus Chan