I think it's called luck. I believe this to be fact as I've read various posts/articles about how lucky United were last season because DDG made so many key saves that won United so many points. Nothing to do with skill. Just luck. Allegedly.
Well whatever the case regarding DDG, we were not lucky, our GK made good saves and that's the way it went, he did exactly what we bought him to do, make excellent saves in a game, and then we manage to score a legit goal, which the linesman decides to rule offside. It would have been an excellent result and Cech winning us the points as many said he would.
Strange how some footy fans view a goalie making good saves as the team being lucky. What next, Sanchez playing really well and scoring a hatrick, winning the game for Arsenal, as being a lucky win? We can say the same thing about Manure's golden era, when they had Schmichael in goal with all those saves he made for the team and all the points he won for them as being lucky?
Quite agree. The whining last year about United being lucky to be in the top 4 because of DDG's saves was incessant!
Maybe it's the looked on differently - in that Man U in the 90s were truly dominant, with their whole team top to bottom being great, with a World Class keeper being a huge part, but arguably not the main part of. But for example, many looked at Spurs being lucky to win games last season with Kane's late, late goals as generally they looked poor, with the exception of Kane and a few other people. With the lucky comments with Man U last season, it could be that De Gea is truly world class, but no one else in the Man U team currently comes close to him. And their defence (possibly down to a combination of severe injuries, new arrivals not bedding down, tickering, new systems and/or reduced quality) looked a bit suspect for periods last season, meaning De Gea pulled off quite a number of good, great and amazing saves. But it's just an opinion, but that's possibly why people didn't tag the 90s team with being lucky.
Of course the 90s team wasn't lucky as they were great from the keeper, all the way to the manager, but i was making an example that having a keeper that saves your a$$, which Schmichael did with his brilliance, has little to do with luck. But I do agree, this manure team is a shadow of its former self and they have been rather fortunate to be winning so many games, playing some suspect stuff. Every team has luck from time to time, that's the nature of the game, but I don't think Arsenal can be accused of being lucky, or at least, having much of it. What we can be accused of is living on the edge, and not making quite easy for ourselves. But that is why so many people like Arsenal so much, they provide plenty of entertainment.
I agree with your points about Arsenal - except the 'liking' bit - it frustrates and annoys the hell out of me lol! But it's the difference between having great players who control a game, but know that a great keeper can pull off a 'worldie' if needed (similar to Chelsea with Cech), and a team that is all over the shop, allows the opposition to have loads of shots, they have little control over a game, but despite the opposition having huge amounts of shots and even perhaps dominating sometimes, the keeper is keeping the team in the game, just!
TBH don't think anyone said you were lucky last year, maybe a few, but you always have that. You guys were clearly better than Pool and Spurs, and that's why you got 4th, simple as that. I guess you can say you are fortunate to have DDG, just as we are to have Cech, but that's different than luck.
This season after De Gea had an agreed move that fell through due to the paperwork arriving 2 minutes late, I think you can probably say Utd are lucky to have him
TBH all in all it's good for everybody, we don't want the EPL's best players going to Spain. Much prefer facing a Manu with DDG rather than Lopez. Just like you'd rather face Shmeichal than Barthez! When you have world class that's what makes good rivalries and good games.
