I reckon we're a much tougher side with Vidic back leading the defense. SAF chose Vidic to captain the team for a reason. We suffer without him, even against mid-table teams. He's strong in the air; he's consistent, he's a natural leader, the list goes on and on. Recent STATS indicate that only Bolton, the club with the worst defensive record in the Premier League, have allowed their opponents more shots on target than us. That just shows how poor our defenders have been this season. You just cannot dispute STATS to be honest. The fact that 12 of nearly 60 shots lead to is certainly showing that De Gea is overrated - he may have potential according to the minority, but I reckon he hasn't got the ability to fill that position. English isn't his first language and is clearly struggling to communicate with Rio and the rest of the lads. I guess VDS was and is still a legend! There won't ever be another keeper who can replace Edwin! If we want to bounce back from this appalling defeat, we will need to ensure we maintain high morale's throughout the remained of the season. This was a one off We'll return stronger
De Gea is a very good keeper. His shot stopping is excellent, particular with short range shots, he just needs to bulk up a bit, improve his English and gain more experience, all of those things take time but are easily achievable.
As of last Monday (so including the City game) De Gea was the best keeper in the league for saves, saving 76% of shots he faced: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11096_2705370,00.html In other words, had any other keeper in the league faced 60 shots, they would probably have conceded more than 12 goals. The main problem for us defensively is that we haven't had a settled defence at all this season, often with Evans as the most experienced CB, so communication is obviously going to be a problem. Also, with Rio been off the pace, Jones and Smalling inexperienced and Evans not a top class defender Vidic is our only really leader at the back and he's only played two games this season. I think with Vidic back in the team the defence will be a lot stronger and more organised.
