Erik ten Hag needs to finally end 'unsustainable' Manchester United issue

You know it has been a bad season when David de Gea is the likely winner of the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.

A goalkeeper being identified as the most important player at a club as elite as United not only highlights their immense individual shot-stopping ability, but it highlights a porous defence which is failing to do its job.

In three of the four previous seasons in which De Gea won the Player of the Year award, United finished trophyless. If he does win it this year, that will make it four out of five. In half of those seasons, United have also sacked a manager. If he wins it again this season, it will be three out of five, further evidence of the worrying trend his accolade represents.

READ MORE: Newcastle still interested in signing Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson

If De Gea is named as United's Player of the Year next season as well, then it is safe to presume things would have gone wrong for Erik ten Hag too. That is, if he even backs the Spaniard as his No.1 this summer.

A year ago, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted the goalkeeping dynamic between Dean Henderson and De Gea was 'unsustainable' for a second season, yet it still remains largely unresolved.

In July, Henderson was set to start the season as United's No.1 but in a sliding door moment, he contracted Covid-19 in his first week of pre-season training. It kept him out of contention until September, by which time De Gea had produced huge saves in the opening matches of the season and recovered the confidence he had lost earlier in the year.

In a parallel universe, the Englishman would have been first-choice for this entire season, and De Gea would be the one looking to leave this season. Instead, it is Henderson who is eager to go and