Blog: Stick with De Gea

Did United not win at The Hawthorns?

All I seem to be hearing about the game is David De Gea's performance. What seems to have been overlooked is the Reds' remarkable ability to ground out wins in the face of adversity. With key defenders dropping like flies, I can imagine some clubs simply settling for a point in the circumstances we saw in the Black Country. But not United: the collective will to win forced an important opening-day victory. For the second Sunday in a row, we were relieved by a last-gasp winner - can your nerves handle the next nine months?

Ashley Young rather sheepishly told me he’ll be claiming the decisive goal at The Hawthorns but I’m not optimistic about his chances after the deflection off Steven Reid. But I am optimistic about Young's future with the Reds. He has settled in incredibly well – it’s as though he’s been at Old Trafford for years. He brings balance and a superb delivery from the left wing, and his link-up play with Wayne Rooney against West Brom was excellent. Speaking of Wayne, wasn’t it good to see him firing from the off? He looks lean and hungry (and about 10 years younger for some strange reason...)

It was also heartening, given the injuries to Ferdinand and Vidic, to see again how solid Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling are, while Phil Jones has also looked top class in the first month or so of his United career. But sadly much of the above has been ignored by the critics who prefer to focus on the new keeper. What a Spanish inquisition he is facing. There’s little doubt that the 20 year-old will be disappointed with Shane Long's equaliser and Edin Dzeko’s strike in the Community Shield, but the reaction has surely been over the top. Reading today’s papers, I'm glad English isn’t his first language!

Sir Alex's staff scouted De Gea for months and like them, I believe he will be a top United keeper. After all, he recently won the European Under-21 Championship with Spain and played almost 100 games for Atletico Madrid. Granted, the pressures of playing even a couple of games for the Reds will now be apparent to David. But he needs our support. Let's get behind him.