What happened to Onana?

At Old Trafford, goalkeepers not only have to make saves but also withstand pressure. Onana quickly succumbed to that pressure.

Onana is about to leave Manchester United.

Being a goalkeeper for Manchester United is a special job. It's not just the last line of defense, but also a mirror reflecting all the pressure from the stands, the media, and the club's glorious history.

"The Manchester United shirt is a heavy shirt," Phil Jones once said, and at Old Trafford, that statement is truer than ever.

Onana was disappointing.

Andre Onana – who is about to leave the club – understands this well. He arrived at Manchester United in 2023 for £47 million, with huge expectations after replacing David de Gea – the goalkeeper who had been voted the club's Player of the Season four times. But after just two seasons, faith in Onana quickly crumbled.

Onana was highly regarded for his ball-playing ability. Edwin van der Sar, who watched him for three years at Ajax, affirmed that he was a top-class goalkeeper. Erik ten Hag himself chose Onana to complement his defensive style of play. But the reality in the Premier League proved much harsher.

In his Old Trafford debut, a friendly match, Onana rushed out of the penalty area to pass to Diogo Dalot, lost possession, and was then fouled from 50 meters. That mistake became a haunting image, making Manchester United hesitant to build short passes from their own half. When Onana was no longer playing to his strengths, the string of errors continued, and the fans' confidence quickly dwindled.

The skepticism reached its peak during the Europa League quarter-final against Lyon in the 2024/25 season. Onana's seemingly harmless pre-match statement, "we are much stronger," was seized upon by Nemanja Matic – De Gea's close friend – who called him "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history."

Onana is highly regarded for his footwork.

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

Ruben Amorim, Ten Hag's successor, then gave Altay Bayindir a Premier League opportunity. The Turkish national team's second-choice goalkeeper also wasn't entirely reliable, making mistakes against Arsenal and Burnley and playing without confidence at Fulham in the 2025/26 season.

However, at least Bayindir no longer carries the burden of fan disappointment like Onana did. That's why Amorim insisted on keeping the 27-year-old goalkeeper for the first three matches of the season, even though Onana had recovered from injury.

Onana's only game in recent times was in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby – and he again made a mistake leading to the second goal conceded. When Manchester United spent £18 million on Senne Lammens from Antwerp instead of Emiliano Martinez, the message became clear: the future in goal no longer belongs to Onana.

Consequences of mistakes

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

“Once the goalkeeper makes a mistake, the entire defense is dragged down. That feeling sticks until the next game.” De Gea’s success is not only due to his talent, but also because he has “rhinoceros skin”—calmness in the face of mistakes, and enough resilience to stand firm in the face of adversity.

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

Roy Carroll understood this well. Despite winning the Premier League and refereeing the FA Cup final, his name is still associated with Pedro Mendes' shot that the referee disallowed as having crossed the goal line.

"That mistake has stayed with me ever since," Carroll admitted. But he also emphasized that the problem wasn't just on the pitch, but also in terms of mental support. Manchester United goalkeepers need more than just technical training; they need to know how to manage their mentality so they don't give up.

For Onana, leaving Manchester United was a setback. However, it wasn't entirely due to a lack of ability. The former Inter Milan star remains a top-class goalkeeper with excellent ball distribution skills, having led the Italian club to the Champions League final.

But at Manchester United, impatience, an atmosphere of distrust, and an initial string of mistakes framed his image negatively. Once trust from the stands and the dressing room is broken, it's very difficult to rebuild.

Amorim now faces a difficult dilemma: either bet on the young Lammens, or continue using Bayindir while fans remain apprehensive. Whatever the choice, he understands that being Manchester United's goalkeeper demands more resilience than any other position. Mistakes aren't just goals conceded – they become the subject of millions of criticisms, cracks that can spread throughout the entire defense.

When Van der Sar, Schmeichel, or De Gea succeeded, they not only made saves but also overcame the invisible pressure of the "heavy burden." For Onana, however, that burden proved too much. And that was his greatest tragedy at Old Trafford.

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