David De Gea is becoming a subject. He was going to move, it was all but done in terms of our acceptance – I was all ready to wish him well and watch him go. I was at Old Trafford for the last home game of last season and I tell you now, not since Eric Cantona graced that stage have I ever watched a player so intensely. I was looking for anything, disinterest, too long clapping at half time, too much time looking around the stadium, I don’t know what I was looking for but some kind of indication that he was leaving. As it happens he limped off and everyone around me filed the biggest lot of conspiracy theories since Oswald ‘shot JFK’. He came back for the parade thing at the end of the match and I watched his head go back, and to the left, back and to the left, back and to the left… talking to Ashley Young. The single biggest piece of business we had to do that summer was, I thought, keeping David De Gea.
United seemed ready to play hardball with Real Madrid; Ramos comes to Manchester, David goes to Madrid, could that happen? All the media noises suggested that was the only way a deal would be done. Nothing happened and United fans allowed themselves to possibly get a little giddy at the thought he might stay ours. By hook or by crook we might end up keeping our ‘keeper and letting him leave for nothing in the summer. The chess game with Madrid that did include Ramos seems to no longer, the defender has apparently signed a new deal with them.
So what now? We get a ‘keeper that won’t play because apparently his head isn’t in the game. I respect the stance United have taken and part of me thinks Ramos signed a deal at Madrid so that they could screw more money out of us in transfers BUT this could be a massive pissing contest. Oh you think Ramos is the key do you? He stays with us and we’ll have your ‘keeper for nish in the summer too… Gracias!
As things stand David in the stands is no use to us, could we not play him regardless of what happens with that lot over in Spain? Do we think he would intentionally fuck up, cost us a game, concede a penalty? LVG knows what he is doing and if he says David’s cabeza is not with it then who are we to argue. Romero is doing a sterling job, none conceded and some fine saves too despite the fact the oposition haven’t really hammered us yet.
LVG says he doesn’t know what will happen, but keeping David away from the starting line up suggests he does. Play him Tuesday night, cup tie him and laugh an evil laugh. Club loyalty went out of the window when the class of 92 rode off on their red and white horses. Until the matter is resolved, and he leaves or he stays, play him – is it going to be any worse than David Moyes’ start to his season here?
It doesn’t seem like United are playing hardball at all any more. We have told Madrid the transfer wont happen without Ramos and he just signed a deal, so playing David would send a message to Madrid that David remains ours – someone knows something, if David ended up staying because no transfer happened before the deadline would he go straight back in to the side? What kind of message does that send, he wasn’t focused but now his deal has fallen through we believe he will be? Or because we have completed a deal on the hush that he remains in Manchester for another year and then moves to Madrd, we think he now gives a toss about United again?
It should be about who is on the pitch for United when the game starts, for now though the bigger drama seems to be who is in the stands. Play De Gea and the speculation might not go away but at least we would be doing something, rather than reacting to events in Madrid.
GTS
Given to Score 