Manchester United’s new goalkeeper, Andre Onana, is enduring a challenging debut season at Old Trafford, with his recent performance against Brentford adding to his woes. The Cameroon international was signed to replace long-serving goalkeeper David de Gea, who departed the club during the summer transfer window. However, Onana has encountered several difficulties since joining the Red Devils, with a series of mistakes drawing criticism from fans and pundits alike.
During Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Brentford, Onana allowed a relatively tame shot from Mathias Jensen to slip under him in the 26th minute, resulting in an unexpected lead for the Bees. Former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel commented on the error, stating that Onana appeared to move his body rather than rushing to cover the shot. Schmeichel also noted that this wasn’t the first time Onana had made such a mistake, referencing a similar error in a match against Bayern Munich.
Schmeichel expressed his uncertainty about the reasons behind Onana’s recurring technical errors but suggested that pressure might be a contributing factor. He emphasized the importance of analyzing mistakes after matches and being prepared for future games to avoid repeating the same errors. Schmeichel also raised concerns about Onana’s impact on the team, suggesting that his repeated mistakes could erode the trust of his teammates.
Many Manchester United fans took to social media to express their frustration with Onana’s recent performance. Some questioned whether he could truly replace David de Gea, while others labeled his performance as terrible. Despite the goalkeeper’s struggles, United managed to come from behind and secure a 2-1 victory over Brentford, with Scott McTominay scoring two goals after Onana’s error.
Onana’s error against Brentford followed another mistake in the previous match against Galatasaray, where he carelessly gave away the ball, resulting in a penalty and a red card for Casemiro.
Fortunately for Onana, Mauro Icardi missed the subsequent penalty, sparing the goalkeeper from further embarrassment.