Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must drop goalkeeper David de Gea following his recent mistakes, says ex-Premier League striker Ian Wright.
The Spaniard spilled Antonio Rudiger’s 30-yard shot on Sunday, allowing Marcos Alonso to earn a point for Chelsea as United’s top-four hopes faded.
De Gea has made three errors leading to a goal in his past four games.
“There’s something that’s not right,” Wright said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.
“If he [Solskjaer] really wants to stamp his mark and let people know he isn’t afraid to make decisions, he should take him out.
“If the manager explains everything and tells him face to face why he’s leaving him out and giving him a break, that’s man-management – and that’s what Solskjaer has to do.”
Mistakes against Manchester City and Barcelona mean De Gea has, in the space of 13 days, matched the total number of costly errors he made in 123 previous club appearances.
However, his manager insists he still “trusts” the 28-year-old, whose Old Trafford contract expires in just over a year.
United have two Premier League games remaining this season, travelling to face already-relegated Huddersfield on Sunday before hosting Cardiff on the final day.
In light of recent performances, former Arsenal and England forward Wright sees those fixtures as an opportunity for Solskjaer to field reserve keeper Sergio Romero, allowing De Gea, the subject of persistent transfer speculation, an early summer break.
“He needs to go on holiday and sort his contract out,” said Wright. “Sometimes you have to take someone out the firing line.
“He’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world and he just needs a break. There’s a lot going on and he’s under a lot of pressure. When you look at how United are playing at the moment, putting him in that situation is putting him under more pressure.
“He’s made three very uncharacteristic mistakes in a short period. To take him out for a very good understudy isn’t a bad thing.”
