Former Manchester United Star: United Should Bring Back de Gea

Thus far, it's been a frustratingly slow summer for Manchester United in the transfer market, especially when you consider the turbulent season they've just endured and you factor in the glaring gaps in quality across the squad. It seems even slower when you remember that new boss Rúben Amorim has a highly specific tactical system that demands the right personnel.

While rivals like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and City are moving with intent, United fans are still waiting for that major spark of momentum. To get a sense of what’s going on at Old Trafford, we caught up with former United defender Clayton Blackmore, who gave us his take on Amorim’s approach, the ongoing hunt for reinforcements and why David de Gea deserves a second chance.

What’s the Delay with Bryan Mbeumo?

So far, the only addition to the squad has been Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha, a shrewd signing after netting 15 Premier League goals last season, putting him joint-eighth alongside Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. In addition to that, only eight players managed more direct goal involvements than Cunha’s total of 21.

Still, United remain keen on Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, a player Blackmore is particularly enthusiastic about.

“United need a few more faces to come in. I’d like to see Garnacho stay. We haven’t yet tried him down the middle. Bryan Mbeumo has been mentioned and we’re waiting on that to get over the line. People I’ve spoken to are wondering what the hold up is?”

“He scored a lot of goals at Brentford and he’s a busy player. United need someone like that. He can run with the ball, take people on and finish. He doesn’t need help. He’s also a hard worker. That’s a key thing for me with United this year. The work rate has got to be much better.”

Does Amorim Need To Abandon His System?

With pre-season now underway, Amorim will be eager to bring in the right players for his preferred system. However, Blackmore believes the problem isn’t just recruitment, it’s the formation itself.

“For me the biggest problem is the manager likes to play three at the back and it’s not working at Old Trafford. It only really works when you play teams like Arsenal who will dominate possession and then you have 5 at the back.”

“I find the system only works when the team we’re playing against are the likes of City or Liverpool. I think he will struggle with the same system. I don’t think players coming in will make a difference either.”

“Old Trafford is a big pitch and when you’ve got three at the back and you play a weaker team, the wing back tends to leave space on the flanks and that’s where United get caught out. The three centre backs are isolated and the opposition has space to attack.”

"Bring Back De Gea"

With André Onana now sidelined for six weeks, United face a major goalkeeping headache going into the season. Altay Bayındır remains the backup, but he has yet to really prove himself. Several names have been floated, including Emi Martínez, Andriy Lunin, and John Victor, but Blackmore has a simpler solution: bring back David de Gea.

“If possible United should bring back de Gea. I’d bring him back. I played with Peter Schmeichel and Neville Southall and I think de Gea is the best I’ve seen.”

“Towards the end, he was making more mistakes but United were declining as a team and he had to do more work. When you’re forced to do more work you make more mistakes.”

“United pushed him out because he wasn’t good with the ball at his feet but his passing when he’s not under pressure was good. I had no problems with de Gea. ten Hag wanted him out and wanted to bring his own man in and I think it was a mistake.He won the golden glove that year and had 15 clean sheets. Why would you get rid of him?”

A Season of Transition?

Blackmore is eager to note that whilst he wasn’t keen on ten Hag’s recruitment, he was more successful due to his system he used. He also acknowledges that Amorim now has to work with a squad largely built by his predecessor, which isn’t an easy task.

“With Onana they might as well give him a red shirt. I think he wants to play out in the field. In his first game the other team scored from the halfway line.”

“ten Hag wanted him so what can you do? It’s difficult for Amorim as it’s not his team or his players.”

“But I do think United were better under ten Hag because he played 4-3-3. I think if United did that and pressed high, United would be in the top half this coming season.”

With the Red Devils being 6th favourites with the bookies to finish in the top four at odds of 4/1, our bet calculator will tell you that the mood hasn't shifted all that dramatically just yet.

It’s early days, but the pressure is already building. The fans want signings, the squad needs reshaping, and above all, Old Trafford wants to believe again.

Read more as Lee Sharpe claims that Bryan Mbeumo would be a dream signing for Manchester United