The 'strange substance' couldn't save Onana.

Onana's usual habit.

The Cameroonian goalkeeper is believed to have been directly at fault for both of Manchester United's conceded goals, making his future at Old Trafford more uncertain than ever.

It's unclear whether Onana used Vaseline – a petroleum jelly originating from the US – during this match, but he regularly applies a layer of Vaseline to his gloves before games. After the 2-2 draw against Lyon, many people continued to wonder why Onana did this.

According to The Athletic , Onana didn't actually use traditional Vaseline, but a specialized product designed specifically to increase adhesion. However, many other professional goalkeepers opt for genuine Vaseline to improve their goalkeeping abilities, especially in wet weather conditions.

On former goalkeeper Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast, Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson also commented on the trend: "Many goalkeepers these days put Vaseline on their gloves, but I would never allow myself to do that."

Foster asked again: "Can you explain why? The first person I saw doing that was Joe Hart at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He told me, 'Fozzy, that's a complete difference'"

Wilson nodded in agreement: "It certainly makes a difference. But no matter how wet or damaged the gloves are, I still wouldn't do that. However, I have to admit, the grip on the ball is noticeably better when using them."

Foster added: "I can tell who's using Vaseline after just a few catches. The gloves feel much more secure on the ball."

Onana keeps making mistakes.

Using Vaseline or other specialized products to increase glove grip is a common trick among goalkeepers, especially when playing in the rain or on slippery surfaces. But for Onana, the important thing right now isn't what to use on his gloves, but how to improve his performance and regain the fans' trust.

Against Lyon, he had a disastrous day. In the 25th minute at Groupama Stadium, Thiago Almada put Lyon ahead after Onana's indecisive handling of the ball. Leny Yoro equalized just before the end of the first half, scoring his first goal for Manchester United.

Joshua Zirkzee's late goal seemed to give Manchester United the advantage going into the second leg, but Onana once again disappointed. His indecisive handling of the ball inadvertently put it at Rayan Cherki's feet, and the latter easily scored to make it 2-2.

Mistakes can be temporary, but when repeated frequently, they become a big question mark for the future. If he doesn't quickly improve and demonstrate consistency, the prospect of Onana losing his place, or even leaving Old Trafford sooner than expected, is entirely possible.

A careless mistake cost the MU defense dearly. In the 20th minute of MU's 2-2 draw with Everton in the 26th round of the Premier League on the night of February 22nd, Beto (Everton) took advantage of a chaotic situation to unleash a shot that bounced off the ground, leaving Onana (MU) completely helpless.