Class of 92 vs Class of 2011 - Part 1/7

Class of 11 at top (L to R) - P.Jones, C.Smalling, T.Cleverley, D.Welbeck, A.Young, Anderson and David De Gea
Class of 92 on bottom (L to R) - R.Giggs, N.Butt, D.Beckham, G.Neville, P.Neville, P.Scholes and Peter Schmeichel

After Monday nights superb 3-0 victory of Tottenham at Old Trafford, many fans and pundits have classed this new look Manchester United side as the next generation. After Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Edwin Van Der Sar all retired last season, Sir Alex Ferguson has built a new side once again going into this new season and at the moment it looks very good.

However, the last generation was the legendary class of 92, which included the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. We all know how successful that class was, leading Manchester United to numerous league titles and of course the legendary 1999 Champions League win. But do this new generation of youngsters at Manchester United have what it takes to live up to their predecessors tag. 

In this 7 part series, I will compare the Class of 92 and Class of 2011, to see if they can potentially reach the heights of the legends that came before them.

Goalkeeper vs Goalkeeper

Peter Schmeichel vs David De Gea

 

Peter Schmeichel is regarded as Manchester United's greatest goalkeeper of all time along with Alex Stepney and recently retired Edwin Van Der Sar.  20 year old Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea has been drafted in by Sir Alex Ferguson to replace the big Dutchman and with masses of potential I look at how they compare at this early stage.

REFLEXES

PS: Peter Schmeichel's reflexes were one of the main reasons he was classed as the best goalkeeper in the world for a very long time during his tenure at Old Trafford. He made a string of superb reflex stops during his  8 years at the club, including a superb save to deny David Unsworth a superb bicycle kick goal in 1997. 

GRADE: 9/10

DDG: David De Gea's reflexes are top notch for a goalkeeper at the ripe old age of 20. He is capable of pulling off some magnificent saves in a short space of time, but seems to struggle more when he has time to think about his save. That may just be early nerves though. See his magnificent Man of the Match performance vs Barcelona last season as an example of his reflex ability.

GRADE: 9/10

COMMAND OF AREA

PS: Schmeichel's mere presence in the side meant that he commanded his area very well. At 6ft 4 and over 16st he instantly stood out in a crowded area and made his feelings known. He wasn't shy to shout at the defenders in front of him and everyone knew what he wanted. He knew how to use the entirety of his area and that is one of the reasons that in 42% of his Premier League games for Manchester United he kept a clean sheet.

GRADE: 10/10

DDG: De Gea doesn't seem to have the same presence as Schmeichel did, even when he was at Atletico Madrid. Despite being the same height as Schmeichel, he doesn't have the same build and doesn't have the voice of The Great Dane. He lacks that command that could make the difference in winning crucial points this season, but that could come with experience and as he settles in more to the squad.

GRADE: 7/10

HANDLING

PS: The Great Dane's ability to hold onto a ball after making a save was superb. Many people remember the save he made against Liverpool when he caught a 30 yard shot and held onto it, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd and Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobelaar in the process. He was superb at holding on to the ball, another reason why he was voted as the Greatest Goalkeeper of All Time in a survey run by Reuters.

GRADE: 9/10

DDG: De Gea has the ability to catch the ball due to his massive hands and does show it when he has to. However he seems to prefer punching the ball away or parrying it away. I don't doubt his ability to catch the ball, but he seems to prefer parrying and that may be because he doesn't trust his own ability to hold onto the ball. It's certainly an area of his goalkeeping he could improve.

GRADE: 6/10

ONE ON ONES

PS: Schmeichel's ability to save one on ones was almost incomparable to any other goalkeeper in the past or this day. His tremendous reflexes and excellent anticipation made him one of the most difficult goalkeepers in history to score against. His presence often made strikers panic, and it's no coincidence that legendary goalscorer Ian Wright never once scored past The Great Dane.

GRADE: 8/10

DDG: Probably his greatest attribute as a goalkeeper is his ability to deny the attacker when in a one on one situation. His marvellous reflexes allow him to get down quickly and deny the attacker, along with his reach and anticipation mean it's a hard task to beat him. Ask Barcelona and Real Madrid last season when he pulled out Man of the Match performances.

GRADE: 9/10

AERIAL ABILITY

PS: Schmeichel's loudness and sheer size made him a force aerially when dealing with crosses from the opposition. He made sure everyone heard his call and made sure he was in the right place to be able to catch the ball and distribute the ball quickly. He was calm under pressure too so rarely made a mistake when trying to claim a cross.

GRADE: 9/10

DDG: De Gea has a calmness about him when claiming crosses as if it comes as a second nature to him. He's not as physically robust as the Great Dane was, but he knows what he's doing and isn't afraid to make the call when necessary to come and claim a cross. He'll have to get used to the challenges he'll get in the Premier League, but once he does get used to that it will be one of his best features along with his superb distribution.

GRADE: 9/10

TOTALS

PETER SCHMEICHEL - 45/50 

DAVID DE GEA - 40/50

So at the age of 20, David De Gea is not as good as Peter Schmeichel. Duhhhh! However, he's definitely on his way and with more experience and game time, plus learning with Eric Steele and co he will surely go on to be one of the best goalkeepers in world football. Definitely capable of being in Manchester United's starting line up for the next 15+ years. For me, £18.7M very well spent.