Once again Man United manager, Erik ten Hag, has been decisive when it comes to making a difficult decision for the club, this time relating to goalkeeper, David de Gea.
The Dutchman is the best thing to happen to the Red Devils in a long, long while.
Not only does he command the dressing room in much the same way as Sir Alex Ferguson did, but he also has his side playing a style of football that sits perfectly in the modern game.
As Cristiano Ronaldo found out not long into ten Hag’s tenure, the manager isn’t a man to be messed with.
Though de Gea’s situation is completely different, it has required another difficult decision to be made and, to his credit, ten Hag hasn’t been cowed by it.
It’s abundantly clear to anyone with even a passing interest in football that de Gea is long past his best. The fact he won last season’s Premier League Golden Glove award for most clean sheets is just massaging the facts to suit.
A more reliable guide as to just how good he now is should be how he performed against Sevilla in the Europa League and Man City in the FA Cup final.
Sir Alex would never have stood for the standard of performances that was seen in those games and others of late by the Spaniard.
Whether ten Hag’s intervention could be seen as a little harsh is really a moot point. To be the best you need the best, and de Gea definitely isn’t that anymore.