Lindegaard: “Rivalry is a positive, not a negative”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 22: Robin van Persie of Arsenal (2R) shoots past Anders Lindegaard of Manchester United to score their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 22, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

It’s seemingly perfect after posting my thoughts on David De Gea and the farce over Anders Lindegaard taking his place against Southampton, but Lindegaard has revealed that he sees the competition between him and David as a massive positive. When asked on whether the fierce rivalry and painful rotation that Sir Alex Ferguson insisted on last year is a problem for the pair, Lindegaard made it clear he couldn’t disagree any more.

“I would say it’s more the opposite. We support each other very much. From the first day he came to the club, we have both been telling each other: ‘I think you can try to solve this situation in a different way’. I’m a bit older than him and he’s a bit more experienced than me in terms of playing games. So we can help each other in a lot of things.”

“I think the whole environment created for us by Eric Steele is very good. I’m sure it’s not an easy job to have two qualified keepers who both want to play as No 1. Obviously, there can only be one so it’s not an easy job to keep us both happy, keep us both motivated and keep our character where we want to play for him and perform for him, as we want to perform for the manager. Eric is doing a fantastic job with that.”