Onana falls into Matic's trap.

Onana made another mistake.

In the early hours of April 11th, a serious mistake by the Cameroonian goalkeeper in the match against Lyon put his team in a difficult position and raised questions about whether the "Red Devils" management should look for a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window.

'Old illness' relapses

Ahead of the match, Onana was embroiled in a controversy with former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic. The 29-year-old goalkeeper confidently declared that the English team was superior to their Ligue 1 opponents. In response, Matic didn't hesitate to mock him, calling Onana "one of the worst goalkeepers in modern Manchester United history."

Matic also suggested that Onana needed to prove his abilities before making such bold statements. Matic's words seemed to influence Onana, as he made a direct mistake that led to Lyon's opening goal.

In the 26th minute, from a not-so-dangerous free kick by Thiago Almada, Onana fumbled the ball, letting it slip through his hands and straight into the net. This mistake put the visitors chasing the game. Fortunately for Onana, goals from Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee helped Manchester United come back to a 2-1 lead.

However, in the fifth minute of added time, Onana once again mishandled Lyon's first shot, allowing the ball to rebound directly into the net, giving the opponent a chance to score and equalize 2-2. This is clearly an inherent weakness of Onana, as the former Ajax goalkeeper performs very poorly in situations involving punching or saving shots, often creating opportunities for the opponent to score on rebounds.

In the verbal spat between Onana and Matic, the Serbian midfielder clearly had the right to smile in the end. The psychological tactics employed by the Lyon players before the match seemed to have worked. The Cameroonian goalkeeper's mistakes contributed to both goals scored by the Ligue 1 representatives against Manchester United.

Andre Onana brother 1

Onana's punching and blocking technique is problematic.

Statistics show that Onana conceded an average of 1.48 goals per game while playing for Manchester United, with a total of 138 goals conceded in 94 matches. This is far less than the goalscoring legends of the club. David de Gea only conceded an average of 1.08 goals per game over more than a decade.

Previously, legendary players like Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar had even more impressive records. The mistake against Lyon was just one in a series of errors Onana has made since joining the "Red Devils".

He has left a negative mark in many important matches, from careless handling to indecisive decisions. While his ball-playing ability sometimes gives him an advantage, his mistakes often cost his team dearly. The pressure is mounting on Onana, especially as Manchester United's only chance to salvage a disastrous season is in the Europa League.

It's time for Amorim to make a decision.

Former Manchester United assistant coach Mike Phelan couldn't hide his disappointment when commenting on Sky Sports after the match. He harshly criticized Onana's mistake, emphasizing that such errors are unacceptable at a club of this caliber.

“Deciding on the goalkeeper position is always the hardest problem for any manager,” Phelan said. “Does Manchester United have a backup goalkeeper capable of handling the number one role for the rest of the season?”

Phelan also recalled an anecdote from the past, when a "great manager" of Manchester United once boldly replaced the starting goalkeeper in a cup final, implying that Sir Alex was willing to drop his key goalkeeper if they didn't perform well.

He concluded emphatically: "You can't keep making excuses for repeated mistakes." Phelan had a point. In crucial knockout matches in the Europa League, even a small goalkeeping error can cost a team dearly.

Onana joined Manchester United from Inter Milan in 2023 for a transfer fee of €50.2 million, carrying high expectations after an impressive season in Serie A. However, reality proved harsh. The goalkeeper repeatedly made mistakes, leading fans and experts to question his future at Old Trafford.

Mike Phelan's warning serves as a wake-up call for Manchester United's leadership and manager Amorim: it's time to seriously consider the goalkeeping position, because patience cannot last forever when the team is striving for a revival.

The question is whether Amorim will dare to drop Onana in the second leg, or even further in the remainder of Manchester United's season?

Two silly mistakes by Onana led to MU being held to a draw. In the early hours of April 11th, MU drew 2-2 with Lyon away from home in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals.

Source: https://znews.vn/onana-mac-bay-matic-post1544961.html