Manchester United’s coaching staff are “concerned” over the performances of goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to an inside source at Old Trafford.
Former United scout Mick Brown, with strong ties still to the club, reveals Ruben Amorim and his coaches are worried by the erratic displays of their number one and contends the 28-year-old shot stopper is becoming a “major issue” for them.
“[Onana] hasn’t been good enough, and it’s becoming a major issue for them. The problem is, Onana was supposed to be the long-term solution in that position.
“They didn’t think De Gea was good enough with the ball at his feet, so they didn’t renew his contract and they went out to buy a new goalkeeper. So they ended up going out and paying £50million for Onana,” Brown tells Football Insider.
However, this was a choice made by Erik ten Hag – the previous incumbent of the managerial role at Old Trafford – with the Dutchman keen to reunite with Onana after their time together at Ajax.
Amorim holds no loyalty nor inclination towards the Cameroonian international. And the errant displays Onana has produced in recent months are likely to be testing the former Sporting manager’s patience.
But Brown believes the investment made in the goalkeeper, and the fact United’s limited finances will need to be directed further forward on the pitch, means the club are reluctant to prioritise anu upgrade on Onana.
“Now, from what I hear, they don’t want to have to go out and spent big money on a new goalkeeper because it’s like admitting they got it wrong with him. Can you say at this point he’s £50million better than De Gea was? No chance.”
“But given that’s what he was brought in to be, he’s got to come up with the performances to prove it, and he’s not been doing that.
“There are serious question marks about him because he’s made so many errors that have cost his side or made things far more difficult for them – like against Everton. Parrying the ball has been a problem for him, he struggles to push the ball wide which is an important aspect of goalkeeping to relieve pressure.
“Sometimes he makes saves where you wonder how he pulled it off, so he has to be given credit. But does he spread confidence to his defence and the players in front of him? If every time the opposition have a shot from range they’re worried they might be in trouble, then they’ve got serious problems in the side.”
It’s these Jekyll and Hyde moments in goal – with Onana capable of a sublime save followed immediately by an egregious error – which is likely to be driving the “concerns” amongst United’s coaching staff.
But given the desperate need for a new right wing-back, a new midfielder, and, most importantly, a new striker, an inconsistent goalkeeper falls lower down the list of the priorities at Old Trafford than the club’s budget this summer will stretch.
Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
