--- title: "Opinion: Should De Gea be starting?" canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2015/08/28/opinion-de-gea-starting/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" section: "Features" published: "2015-08-28T11:57:26Z" modified: "2015-08-28T11:57:26Z" --- # Opinion: Should De Gea be starting? David De Gea has been the subject of a summer-long transfer saga from Real Madrid, a constant back and forth between the two clubs that currently has no end in sight. It all started with an opening bid of [£13 million](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3124643/Real-Madrid-start-David-Gea-bidding-just-13m-Manchester-United-star-worries-Iker-Casillas-influence-Bernabeu.html) for the Spanish goalkeeper which was immediately rejected as everyone knew it would be. But you cannot blame Los Blancos for a bid that low, after all when bidding you don’t start at a high price do you? Simple business. Ed Woodward was having a stormer of a transfer window at this point, having agreed terms with Bastian Schweinsteiger and signed Memphis already he decided that Madrid were not getting De Gea without either a world record fee for a goalkeeper or a player in return. Instead of waiting for an offer however Woodward went on the offensive and made a £28.6 million bid [for unsettled defender Sergio Ramos.](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/9898686/manchester-united-bid-163286m-for-sergio-ramos-says-graham-hunter) Then came the speculation about Ramos’ future with Sky Sports even reporting that he had told Madrid he wanted a move to Old Trafford and would not be signing a new contract. Woodward then upped the deal to [€75 million](https://thecontinentalzone.com/2015/06/23/manchester-united-set-for-stunning-ramos-deal/) and our player of the year in order to complete the deal before pre-season. ![Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/08/478078730.jpg) As we all know he ended up renewing anyway with a pay rise which begged the question: did he actually want to join us or was he using our interest to get his demands? I personally think he did want to come and would be in the squad for the Swansea game if he wasn’t on holiday when United came knocking, this gave Florentino Perez and his team-mates, most notably [Cristiano Ronaldo](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-united-transfers-cristiano-ronaldo-5959078) time to sweet talk him into staying and he will most likely retire playing alongside the Portuguese superstar. United seem to have won the battle this summer as they are set to keep De Gea and are happy to let him go on a free next season, providing they cannot convince him to sign a new contract in the meant time. Louis Van Gaal has insisted that he is not for sale but will not feature until the window closes as his head is elsewhere amid the speculation. The problem I have with that is come September 2nd De Gea will not all of a sudden be fully committed to playing for us again, he will be thinking of whether he will be sold in January or if he has to complete another season with us and leave in 2016. So far Sergio Romero has not conceded a goal scored by the opposition. The only goal he has let in was the own goal by Michael Carrick in the 1st leg against Club Brugge. However he has not been the most convincing, he is a very good shot stopper but in most other areas he is less than apt. With the ball at his feet he looks like a mistake waiting to happen, nearly conceding against Brugge when he failed to latch onto a back pass. His kicking hasn’t been great either, this could be because we are used to De Gea who in all honesty could do a job in centre midfield with his distribution. ![Michael Regan/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/08/4834020183.jpg) Romero was signed as a backup and that is what he should remain, don’t forget this is the same keeper who was a reserve for Sampdoria and released after making 3 appearances on loan at Monaco. Yes he did get to both the World Cup final and Copa America final but Argentina literally had no other option between the sticks, well apart from Julian Speroni. As the saying goes; Strikers win you games, goalkeepers win you titles and that couldn’t be truer. Who did we have in goal when we won the treble? The greatest goalkeeper to don the red shirt Peter Schmeichel who single handily won us numerous games with some of his amazing saves. What about in 2008? Edwin Van Der Sar who is a close second behind the Denmark international was between the sticks and saved the winning penalty from Nicholas Anelka. Let’s relive that fine moment: Now whilst De Gea didn’t win us a title last season he is the main reason we will be travelling to Eindhoven, Moscow and Wolfsburg before the year is up. Usually a 3-0 score line shows dominance from the winning side but against Liverpool at Old Trafford last year the score could have been very different if the Spaniard was sat in the stands like he is at the moment. Mario Balotelli had some really good opportunities that every other time he would bury, not because he is a good player but because of the nature of the chance. His save onto the bar was the best of countless times that game. Who doesn’t forget against Everton in what was virtually the last chance of the match. Louis Van Gaal is going to do what he thinks best, if that is waiting until the window shuts before playing our no.1 then so be it I have complete trust in him and so should you. However I must stress that to mount any sort of title challenge and to go far in Europe, he has to be starting as no matter how good Romero has been, he’s no David De Gea.