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"United do need a better goalkeeper" | Kevin Kilbane on Man United

Kevin Kilbane dropped into the Football Show on Off the Ball on Monday to look back at the year t...



Soccer

"United do need a better goalkeeper" | Kevin Kilbane on Man United

Kevin Kilbane dropped into the Football Show on Off the Ball on Monday to look back at the year that was in the Premier League, he ran the rule over where Manchester United are short in their squad.

Unsurprisingly, given the high-profile errors, Kilbane started between the sticks when assessing the weaknesses at Old Trafford.

"Probably a goalkeeper, I think it's the end of the road," said Kilbane. "This has not been a new thing, he's made mistake after mistake."

"I feel there have been too many mistakes by a lot of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last couple of seasons. I feel as though goalkeeping is absolutely on the decline. I'm talking about goalkeeping itself.

"Most goalkeepers now if you watch them are incredible with their feet and they are an extra outfield player a lot of the time, but the goalkeeping has been very poor, not just De Gea.

"United do need a better goalkeeper if they are going to seriously challenge.

Kilbane says there are deficiencies elsewhere for United and compared to other teams.

"The depth of the squad needs to improve, you need 15 or 16 players," says the former Ireland International.

"United did look tired, the last few weeks of the season they looked wrecked. In the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, they looked wrecked, they looked tired, looked dead on their feet.

"The way they got over the line the way they did is an achievement in itself. It shows there is a little bit of steel about the side."

The full-backs at Manchester United do not compare well to other top-four clubs according to Kilbane.

"I think Shaw has been very hit and miss. If you're comparing him to other players, we were raving about Benjamin Mendy a few years ago," recalled Kilbane.

"You have one serious injury and you're never the same. The same probably is for Luke Shaw, he hasn't been the same since that horrific injury he had and it's difficult to get yourself back going because of that.

"Wan Bissaka, has he ever been good enough on the ball, he probably hasn't. Probably the best one-on-one defender in the Premier League as a full-back.

"But, as a full-back now, there's so much more expected of you in the game and he's probably not at the level of several others. So United, in the full-back area probably need to look elsewhere.

"Wan Bassaka has to improve but he probably will improve. Luke Shaw is player that maybe could go elsewhere in the Premier League and then replace him.

"There's maybe three or four players to go into the United starting eleven because they are not too far off. we can say that, but the squad depth is definitely not strong enough."

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David DeGea Kevin Kilbane Luke Shaw Monday Night Football