Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted it’s becoming much tougher to leave out Dean Henderson, amid David De Gea’s continued struggles between the sticks.
The Spain international has been the undisputed number one at Old Trafford since his arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2011, yet has suffered a real dip in form over the past few seasons.
With Manchester United struggling following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, De Gea has often been the glue holding things together, with a string of impressive displays earning him a record four Player of the Year awards at the club.
Now, however, speculation is mounting that it could be time for the Red Devils to make a change, with the promising Henderson waiting in the wings following his return to the club in the summer.
The 23-year-old has played just three times in the Premier League this season, with the majority of his appearances coming in domestic cup competitions, yet another high profile error from De Gea against Everton last weekend has heightened calls for Henderson’s inclusion.
When asked about the situation, Solskjaer admitted it is getting ‘harder and harder’ to leave the Englishman out of the team and hinted that form is more important than reputation.
‘Everyone knows they have to perform to be in the team,’ said Solskjaer at a pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s clash with West Brom.
‘We have at least two players in every position that would feel first choice and the keeper position is no different.
‘It’s about your performances and what you give to the team. It was a conscious decision to bring Dean back (he was on loan at Sheffield United last season) to have real competition in and Dean has made it harder and harder for me to leave him out because whenever he plays he does really well.
‘It’s not about who’s got the most trophies, it is about what you give to the team here and now, if you are right-back, left-back, left wing, right wing.’
‘Of course we know here we’re in a competitive environment, we’re at Man United and we are here to win. It is about having the best possible chance to win and you need performances.
‘It’s not like I am going round telling them jokes and giving them games just to keep them happy. It is more their job to keep me happy and give me more reasons to pick them, That’s the way it is.’
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