As Manchester United’s financially strong new signing, you are always under surveillance. Add to that the fact that Andre Onana is the goalkeeper replacing the star who kept United afloat for so long, and the pressure cooker was turned to maximum.
High-profile mistakes in key games earlier this season have seen United rally around the under-thrown goalkeeper and give him unwavering support to dispel any doubts that Onana is the rightful heir to David de Gea’s throne.
And it worked. In recent weeks, United have become the best team in the Premier League in all respects. Onana made no mistake, growing with the ball at his feet and making great saves in crucial moments.
But after United’s best performance of the season at Galatasaray alone became irrelevant and Erik ten Hag’s side had to reckon with elimination from the European Cup, they returned to top spot.
A manager who trusted his former Ajax protégé so much must make difficult decisions for the sake of everyone involved.
“He’s fine,” Ten Hag said after United’s thrilling, farcical draw in Istanbul. “This is not about individuals. Individual mistakes in football can make a difference and you take responsibility for that, but it’s always about the team.”
This time, blind faith will not disappear. Onana needs to be taken out of the line of fire.
Luckily for Ten Hag, he has the perfect excuse to shake up his goalkeeping package.
I knows Onana, retired from his international career, is considering playing at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
If he decides to do so, he could miss up to seven United games, leaving substitute Altay Bayindir in the spotlight despite not having played a single minute since his arrival.
Ahead of a series of games that could make or break United’s fragile season, the Turkey international could have done so with some match practice – as long as the man in front of him was struggling and in need of rescuing.
Publicly, Ten Hag can tell the world that he wants to give Baindir a few minutes in case he needs more in January. Even if we all know the real reason.
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Whatever Ten Hag said, the final whistle in Istanbul gave a clearer picture of what the other players thought of their stranded colleague.
After costly mistakes against Bayern Munich, where, as in Copenhagen and Istanbul, United scored three away goals and failed to win, Onana showed a dismal figure in the closing stages. However, at the end of these games he didn’t have to wallow in self-pity for too long; Soon, several of his teammates offered him a shoulder to cry on.
There were no such actions in Turkey, which were immeasurably stronger than any words directed against the media.
In such a hostile environment, exciting team efforts don’t often happen.
United danced on the hot coals of Ali Sami Yen’s hell and found themselves in hell on their return to Galatasaray, 30 years after one of the most infamous Champions League matches. The visitors made it 2:0 after two fantastic goals. There could be more.
The home team needed a goal out of nowhere to lift the fans’ spirits. Chelsea loanee Hakim Ziyech didn’t even score a particularly successful free-kick in the first half. His shot even went straight into the middle of Onana’s goal, a trajectory that the Cameroonian could not understand.
The incident was preceded by several heated arguments that derailed United’s performance and their hopes of reaching the play-offs. A cameraman captured how in every replay shown in the stadium Ziyech was stuck before he took the second free-kick, highlighting his nod to his teammates that he was heading towards goal.
Here, too, the strike was not particularly affected. However, Onana again failed with this technique, trying to block the bubbling with one hand. The results were catastrophic.
United leveled the game 3–1. If Onana prevented Ziyech from scoring a second goal, it looked like Galatasaray lacked the strength to restart the game.
Trust between goalkeepers is a fragile thing. While his teammates wallowed in anger, Onana fell asleep.
Source: I News
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.