David De Gea had to make so many saves against Tottenham Hotspur that the Manchester United star shot-stopper couldn’t pick a favorite.
Moreover, he couldn’t recall them all.
“I don’t even remember some of the saves so I can’t pick a best,” De Gea said. “The manager brought some happiness, the players are playing well and the team is very strong now. This is the real Manchester United.”
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De Gea was speaking after United, still flawed, picked up a memorable 1-0 win over Spurs at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, inspiring interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to quip of winning with 11 saves that “You are allowed to have a good goalkeeper.”
Goal scorer Marcus Rashford couldn’t help but rave about De Gea, especially after the Spaniard bailed Rashford off the hook when Toby Alderweireld got free to turn a shot on goal from close range.
“It wasn’t about the goals today, it was about the keeper,” Rashford said. “The amount of saves he’s made is tremendous.”
Luke Shaw, on Twitter, clearly agrees.
Then there’s Paul Pogba, who set up Rashford for the goal with an outstanding diagonal ball that swept around the Spurs back line.
But while the confident Pogba admitted he made a sublime pass, he was one of the few offering credit beyond De Gea. The Frenchman loved the performance of… wait for it… his manager.
And he says Solskjaer compares him to a player from the manager’s playing days.
“The manager tells me to get into the box and score goals,” Pogba said. “The best example is Frank Lampard.”
