David De Gea vs. Anders Lindegaard: Healthy Rivalry or Potentially Damaging?

The battle for the Manchester United No. 1 jersey has been a hot contest this season, with both Anders Lindegaard and David de Gea putting forward their claim for their place in the first XI.

But is this rivalry within the team a good thing or not?

In years gone by, United have always had a clear first choice keeper and a clear backup. Think Peter Schmeichel and his deputy Raimond van der Gouw, or Edwin van der Sar with Tomas Kuszczak.

But this season, instead of a first and second choice, SAF has two equals who each have their own merits. There's no clear-cut frontrunner.

Is that Sir Alex's fault? Maybe he should have made a decision and stuck with it, instead of chopping and changing every week.

There's been evidence in several of United's games that the consistently changing goalkeeper has caused disruptions to the harmony of the back line. The biggest example recently was the Phil Jones mistake that let Newcastle go up 3-0 a few weeks ago.

Former United Goalie Mark Bosnich said the following on the matter:

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Ferguson’s got to decide who he’s going to stick with, whether it’s De Gea or Lindegaard, regardless of how much money he's spent on De Gea, if United are going to win any trophies. I accept you have to rotate players, but in the key positions, and being a goalkeeper is a really key position, understanding must be second nature.

"

Despite never setting the world alight at Old Trafford himself, Bosnich hits the nail on the head. If United are going to win anything this season then SAF needs to make a decision and stick by it.

The question is who should be the first-choice keeper? Browsing Bleacher Report, it has become obvious to me that the majority of United fans fall into one camp or the other. You're either on Team DDG or Team Linde. Opinion really seems to overrule this one—potential superstar versus Mr. Reliable.

The fact is, neither "Big Dave" nor Linde is going to settle as being the second keeper this season, and both are willing to put up a fight to be top dog. Competition for places can really bring the best out in players, as they are pushed to their limits by their colleagues. The one-upmanship that this sort of rivalry brings about can push both players on and improve them as professionals.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lindegaard said the following about his teammate:

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He is only 21. His potential is massive and there is no doubt he will be United's best goalkeeper at some point. My job is to make sure it is not until I have retired. Which is in 10 years. I am doing everything I can to help David. I enjoy working with him. He is happy, intelligent, always with a good attitude, and we have to push each other.

"

What makes Lindegaard a great goalie is the three Cs: Confidence, communication and calmness.

All of these are attributes of a great keeper, and Linde has demonstrated that he's got all of them. On top of this, Linde's racked up six clean sheets from his eight EPL appearances this season—but doubters have suggested that this is a deceptive statistic.

Linde's six clean sheets have come against Fulham, Wigan, Norwich, Sunderland, Villa and Bolton in games that he didn't have a great deal to do. In fact, he has made an average of 2.3 saves per match. De Gea, on the other hand, has faced the likes of Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, making an average of four saves per game this season.

Lindegaard has also benefited from a lack of media attention. Since De Gea's £18 million-plus transfer to United, the media have been on the Spaniard's case. Even Sir Alex has pointed this out:

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There is obviously an agenda on De Gea... It seems to me people are desperate for the boy to fail. That's the impression I get, and I don't understand it.

"

The media attention has only piled on the pressure to De Gea, and the mistakes that he has made have been greatly exaggerated.

Lindegaard, on the other hand, has managed to shy away from the media's sword, and his errors have been somewhat ignored compared to those of DDG. Even when United win, De Gea's mistakes are highlighted, whereas Linde's are not.

Take this weekend's game against Arsenal for example, where Lindegaard could have easily got to Robin van Persie's equaliser, but it was just brushed over.

So why the big deal? Why is the whole De Gea vs. Lindegaard thing an issue? Surely fans should be delighted that they've got two world-class keepers, and whichever they use could lead them to success, right?

Unfortunately, there are cons to accompany the pros in both cases.

Let's start with Lindegaard. There are obvious advantages of making the Dane United's No. 1. He's proven in most of his games this season that he is calm and collected, and he has great command of his area.

His performances have been impressive, so much so that he has only conceded four times in eight appearances. Of course, as previously mentioned, he has had the benefit of "softer" games than DDG.

If Linde can prove his consistency against the bigger sides in the EPL, then he could be United's ticket to keeping a good defensive record for the remainder of the season. While many fans have proclaimed that De Gea is potentially a great talent, they have possibly ignored the fact that at 27, Lindegaard is also a "youngster" in terms of goalkeepers (who often play well into their late 30s). At 27, he has a great mix of youth and experience.

Here's where the disadvantages come in.

It's unavoidable that De Gea was an expensive acquisition, and that he could one day be the best goalkeeper in the world. The only thing holding him back is experience, and if Lindegaard takes the No. 1 spot, then a lack of first-team EPL experience could really hold DDG back.

On top of this, the idea of loaning him out to a European club could prove ineffective, as the EPL is a totally different league to, say, La Liga.

So what's the advantage of playing David De Gea as the No. 1?

Need I repeat that he's going to be a prolific keeper in the future when given the chance? Solid EPL experience will be the making of his career with Man United. Can Man United risk leaving it two or three years before considering making him the No. 1? It could be even longer if Lindegaard puts his money where his mouth is.

But if Ferguson played De Gea consistently, United could be risking schoolboy errors in the big games, which could be all too costly in the title race. While his reflexes and shot-stopping are excellent, he has shown in several games that he doesn't always keep his concentration up while the ball is outside of the box, which has been to his peril on numerous occasions.

The big issue with DDG is whether the potential product outweighs the possible howlers that could cost United trophies. Is playing DDG a risk?

Does competition between two fantastic goalkeeping talents force both to continually raise their game? Or is it more likely that at least one's career will be hindered in one way or another?

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