In recent Manchester United developments, summer acquisition Andre Onana, who was brought in from Inter for £47.2 million, is causing concerns for the coaching staff due to a string of errors in his initial 11 matches for the club.
Following David de Gea’s departure, United’s decision to bring Onana onboard was significantly influenced by his prowess in ball-handling, hoping he’d bolster Erik ten Hag’s ambitions to make the team more adept at ball transitions from the back. Yet, rather than aiding in this strategy, Onana’s basic goalkeeping blunders have become all too evident.
A recent example was his shaky defense against Mathias Jensen’s shot last weekend. While McTominay’s timely intervention salvaged the game, the goalkeeper’s inconsistent performance remains worrying for the management. Rumors are circulating that rival coaches have identified a recurring flaw in Onana’s style, pointing out his tendency to stay too close to his line during shots.
Moreover, ESPN sources indicate that Manchester United’s internal team was particularly unsettled by Onana’s response post a blunder during a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. Following a miscalculated save attempt against a shot by Leroy Sane, it reportedly took the keeper a substantial time, over half an hour, to regain composure and actively communicate with his defensive line.
To address these concerns, ten Hag and his team are intensively working with Onana to rectify both his psychological and technical shortcomings. Onana, for his part, remains resolute in proving his worth to the club and has even opted out of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations to avoid missing a critical month in the season.
Nevertheless, football pundit Rio Ferdinand offers a candid assessment, emphasizing that Onana needs a significant shift in performance to cement his position, especially with the looming presence of another new recruit, Altay Bayındir. Ferdinand recalls, “I was there when De Gea came. He was obviously younger but he didn’t start well. I think in his first 10 games or so, the numbers are similar to Onana.” He further surmised Onana’s thoughts, stating, “This is not the start I wanted, this is no way near the level I am used to performing at and this is not the standard required at Man Utd so I need to buck up my ideas.”
