What happened to Onana

Onana is set to leave Manchester United.

Being a Manchester United goalkeeper is a special job. Not only is it the last position in the defense, but it is also a mirror reflecting all the pressure from the stands, the media and the glorious history of the club.

“The Man Utd shirt is a heavy shirt,” Phil Jones said, and at Old Trafford that saying is truer than ever.

Onana is disappointing

Andre Onana, who is set to leave the club, knows that all too well. He arrived at Manchester United in 2023 for £47m, amid huge expectations after replacing David de Gea, the goalkeeper who was voted the club’s Player of the Year four times. But after just two seasons, Onana’s confidence has collapsed rapidly.

Onana has always been highly regarded for his footwork. Edwin van der Sar, who watched him for three years at Ajax, said he was a top goalkeeper. Erik ten Hag himself chose Onana to play from the back. But the reality in the Premier League has been much harsher.

On his debut at Old Trafford in a friendly, Onana rushed out of the box to pass to Diogo Dalot, lost the ball and was hit 50 meters out. That mistake became a haunting image, making Manchester United cautious in developing short balls from home. When Onana was no longer allowed to play to his strengths, the series of errors continued, and the audience's trust quickly depleted.

The cynicism peaked in the Europa League quarter-final against Lyon in the 2024/25 season. Onana’s pre-match statement of “we are much stronger” seemed harmless, but Nemanja Matic – De Gea’s close friend – took the opportunity to attack him, calling him “one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history”.

Onana is highly regarded for his footwork.

Under pressure, Onana made two mistakes, leading to a 2-2 draw in the first leg. That was almost the turning point that shook the coaching staff's confidence. In the 2023/24 season, the former Inter Milan star also made frequent mistakes, leading to Manchester United's defeat in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Ruben Amorim, Ten Hag's successor, then gave the Premier League to Altay Bayindir. The Turkey number two goalkeeper has also been inconsistent, making mistakes against Arsenal and Burnley and playing without confidence at Fulham in the 2025/26 season.

But at least Bayindir no longer carries the burden of disappointment from the crowd like Onana does. That is why Amorim is determined to keep the 27-year-old goalkeeper for the opening three games of the season, even though Onana has recovered from injury.

Onana’s only start of late was in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby – and he was at fault for the second goal. When Manchester United spent £18m on Senne Lammens from Antwerp rather than Emiliano Martinez, the message was clear: Onana’s future in goal was over.

Consequences of mistakes

Why is the Manchester United goalkeeper shirt so heavy? Phil Jones, who has played alongside many different goalkeepers, points out: pressure comes from the spread of mistakes.

“Once the goalkeeper makes a mistake, the whole defense is pulled down. That feeling sticks until the next match.” De Gea is successful not only because of his talent, but because he has “rhino skin” - calm in the face of mistakes, stubborn enough to stand firm in the storm.

However, at MU, Onana left the image of a goalkeeper who made many mistakes.

Roy Carroll knows this too. Despite having won the Premier League and refereed the FA Cup final, his name is still associated with Pedro Mendes' shot that the referee did not recognize as having crossed the line.

“That mistake has stuck with me,” Carroll admitted. But he also stressed that the problem is not just on the pitch, but also in mental support. Manchester United goalkeepers need more than technical training; they need to know how to control their mentality so as not to collapse.

For Onana, leaving Manchester United was a failure. But it was not entirely due to his lack of ability. The former Inter Milan star is still a top-class ball-distributing goalkeeper who helped the Italian side reach the Champions League final.

But at Manchester United, impatience, an atmosphere of suspicion and a string of early errors left him in a negative frame. Once trust in the stands and dressing room is broken, it is difficult to rebuild.

Amorim now faces a stark choice: bet on the young Lammens, or continue with Bayindir while the crowd remains nervous. Whatever his choice, he knows that being a Manchester United goalkeeper is a job that requires more tenacity than any other. A mistake is more than a goal conceded – it is the subject of millions of criticisms, a crack that can spread throughout the entire defensive system.

When Van der Sar, Schmeichel or De Gea succeed, they not only block, but also overcome the invisible pressure from the “heavy shirt”. But for Onana, that shirt turned out to be too much. And that was his biggest tragedy at Old Trafford.

Source: https://znews.vn/chuyen-gi-da-xay-ra-voi-onana-post1583638.html