Onana falls into Matic's trap

Andre Onana's ups and downs at Manchester United were once again in the spotlight after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Onana made a mistake again.

In the early morning of April 11, the Cameroonian goalkeeper's serious mistake in the match against Lyon put the home team in a difficult position, and raised the question of whether the "Red Devils" leadership should look for a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window.

'Old disease' relapses

Before the match, Onana was involved 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 did not hesitate to mock, calling Onana "one of the worst goalkeepers in modern Manchester United history".

Matic also said that Onana needed to prove his ability before making loud statements. Matic's words seemed to affect Onana, as he made a mistake that directly led to Lyon's opening goal.

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

However, in the 5th minute of extra time, Onana once again failed to handle Lyon's first shot well, letting the ball bounce right in front of the goal, allowing the opponent to score a rebound to tie the score at 2-2. This is clearly Onana's inherent weakness, as the former Ajax goalkeeper handled the ball very poorly in punching or blocking situations, often creating opportunities for the opponent to score a rebound.

In the verbal spat between Onana and Matic, the Serbian midfielder clearly had the last laugh. The psychological tricks of the Lyon players before the match seemed to be effective. The Cameroonian goalkeeper's mistake contributed to both goals scored by the Ligue 1 representative against MU.

Onana's punching and blocking technique is problematic.

Statistics show that Onana conceded an average of 1.48 goals per game for Manchester United, with a total of 138 goals in 94 games. This is far below the club’s legendary goalkeepers. David de Gea has conceded an average of 1.08 goals per game for over a decade.

Previously, famous 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 mistakes that Onana has made since joining the "Red Devils".

He has left a negative mark in many important matches, from careless handling to indecisive situations. Although his ability with his feet sometimes gives him an advantage, his mistakes often cost his team dearly. The pressure is mounting on Onana, especially when Manchester United only have the Europa League as their only chance to salvage a disastrous season.

It was time for Amorim to make a decision.

Former Manchester United assistant coach Mike Phelan could not hide his disappointment when commentating on Sky Sports after the match. He harshly criticized Onana's mistake, stressing that such mistakes are unacceptable at a team of this caliber.

“The goalkeeper decision is always the hardest for any manager,” said Phelan. “Do Manchester United have a reserve goalkeeper capable of taking on the number one role for the rest of the season?”

Phelan also recalled an anecdote from the past, when a “great coach” of Manchester United once boldly replaced the main goalkeeper in the cup final, implying that Sir Alex was ready to remove the main goalkeeper if they did not play well.

He concluded firmly: “You can’t justify repeated mistakes forever.” Phelan has his reasons. In the crucial knockout matches of the Europa League, even a small mistake by the goalkeeper can cost the team.

Onana joined Manchester United from Inter Milan in 2023 for a transfer fee of 50.2 million euros, with great expectations after an impressive season in Serie A. However, the reality was cruel. The goalkeeper kept making mistakes, causing fans and experts to question his future at Old Trafford.

Mike Phelan's warning is like a wake-up call to Manchester United's board and coach Amorim: it's time to seriously consider the goalkeeper position, because patience cannot last forever when the team is trying to revive.

The question is whether Amorim dares to dismiss Onana in the second leg, or further on in the remaining journey of Manchester United this season?

Onana's two silly mistakes caused MU to be held to a draw. In the early morning of April 11, MU drew 2-2 away with Lyon in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals.

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