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Man Utd players 'not doing enough to protect' David de Gea
MANCHESTER UNITED players “are not doing enough to protect” their goalkeeper David de Gea, who is becoming more exposed to criticism.
That is the opinion of former United full-back Paul Parker.
United have gone four Premier League games without a win, finding themselves eight points adrift of the top four.
The Red Devils drew their last top-flight fixture against Arsenal on Wednesday night, conceding the first through a De Gea mistake.
As Mustafi headed the ball into the ground from a corner, De Gea mistimed his parry and pushed the ball upward and narrowly across the line.
The Manchester United team are not doing enough to protect him
Amid a showreel of great saves, the Spanish shot-stopper has also made the sort of blunders this year which blighted his progress when he first joined Old Trafford as a spindly 20-year-old in 2011.
Although widely regarded among the top keepers in the world, the gradual scrutiny towards De Gea is not his fault, believes Parker, who won two Premier League titles with United.
“He’s proven how good he is because the Manchester United team are not doing enough to protect him,” Parker told BBC 5 Live Sport.
“He should not be having so many shots at him as a Manchester United goalkeeper.
“It should be better for him and easier for him than what it is now.”
United have already conceded 25 goals this season - only three fewer than they conceded in the whole of last season.
“He’s become the best keeper in the world, so it’s easy to scrutinise him now. because he is conceding,” Parker added.
“But I think you have to look at the other side of it. The saves that he is making, the difference he is making in keeping the score down.
“[He’s] giving Manchester United the opportunity to get back into games when games should have gone against them, because he’s made some unbelievable saves.
“Against Young Boys, the save when he dragged it back when maybe an eighth of the ball was across the line. I wondered if he dislocated his shoulder to do that!
“They’re the moments and that’s the reason why Manchester United are still in the Champions League.”
Jose Mourinho was able to pin down his invaluable keeper for another year in November, with the club activating a one-year extension on De Gea’s contract.
It is thought that De Gea would be open to a move away from Manchester, and Parker does worry about the 28-year-old’s mental wellbeing.
“It’s easy to dig out a goalkeeper but after a while I would say: how does he feel personally at this moment in time?”