Manchester United have had a really topsy-turvy start to their second season under Erik ten Hag, winning five and losing six of their first 11 games heading into the October international break. Their summer signing Andre Onana has had a nightmare start and has received a lot of criticism for failing to adequately replace David de Gea.
Manchester United’s Current Stance on Andre Onana After Poor Start
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Are United Still Confident in Onana’s Abilities?
The Cameroon goalkeeper has produced a number of forgettable performances for the Red Devils since arriving, making a number of really poor errors. He’s already conceded 19 goals in just 11 games, which includes seven goals in just two UEFA Champions League outings.
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However, Fabrizio Romano reaffirms that the Premier League side are still confident in his abilities after their 2-1 win over Brentford, in which he conceded a poor goal before Scott McTominay’s brace won them the game late on. He wrote on CaughtOffside: “Manchester United got an important win over Brentford thanks to the late heroics of Scott McTominay, but the goal they conceded was another moment to forget for Andre Onana, with the goalkeeper far from at his best since moving to Old Trafford this summer.
“Personally, I still think Onana is an excellent goalkeeper. At Inter he was fantastic because he was one of the stars of the team, the fans and the teammates used to love him in an incredible way. He needs that kind of feeling. Man United are 100% supportive since day one, so I hope for Onana it’s a matter of time before we see him back at his level.”
How Does Onana’s Start at Old Trafford Compare to de Gea’s?
Interestingly, Onana is not the only goalkeeper to struggle in their first few months of assuming the number one spot at Old Trafford. De Gea had a tough start to being the successor to Edwin van der Sar when he arrived at the club in 2011 too. The Spaniard conceded 13 goals in his first nine Premier League games and made a string of errors too, with opponents capitalizing on his lack of physical strength.
Onana seems to be being targetted by opponents too for his erratic positioning in his goal-line, something he needs to improve if he is to excel at Old Trafford. The 27-year-old has already made 27 saves in just eight games, being a pretty solid shot-stopper on many occasions. The Cameroonian, however, needs to be more consistent and considerably cut down on his errors to protect his position and not risk seeing summer signing Altay Bayindir start playing over him later this season.
