Despite it being international break, there are still a ton of topics to discuss concerning Manchester United. See our MUFC news and notes post, covering the uncertainty with both the captaincy and the manager position for more on that.
In short, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will stay in charge, despite calls to sack the embattled manager only growing in both volume and number. And then you have the unresolved question in between the sticks too. David de Gea is the number one, and he’s certainly played like it, with regularity, this season.
De Gea has had a few man of the match performances this term, often in times when the final score line wouldn’t exactly indicate it. Although Roy Keane is certainly not keen (sorry, had to) on De Gea and Luke Shaw right now.
But with the Spaniard still being the guy, where does that leave Dean Henderson, who was No.1 for the stretch run of last season?
The United Stand, today, cites reports that indicate the club are looking to extend De Gea. And that’s very interesting, when you consider how many, if not most people expected last season’s Europa League Final to be his last game with the club.
Former United keeper Mark Bosnich has said to talkSPORT that Henderson should seal a move to Newcastle United, a club that’s keen on him, as soon as possible.
Newcastle, now the newly richest club in football, amid the Saudi takeover, has a new manager in Eddie Howe, and that means the next step is a roster improvement/makeover. While hiring Howe was less than optimal, and he was anything but their first choice, here’s where we are right now.
And Henderson has only featured in one whole match for United this season, so he’s got to find a new destination.
“I think he should go. He’s at the stage of his career where he needs to be playing regular football. He’ll know that as well,” Bosnich said. (Here is The City)
“I understand that at the start of the season, having a go in pre-season to see how things plan out. [But] De Gea has been excellent and there’s no doubt about it.
“But I think from Dean Henderson’s point of view, he needs to start looking after Dean Henderson.
“Newcastle are a club who are on the go and on the move, but they are also in a perilous position right now.
“New manager. It’s important to get your spin right and the goalkeeper is the integral part of that. He should go and should go as soon as he possibly can.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.