Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana finds himself under renewed criticism after his early blunder gifted Ipswich Town the lead in their Premier League clash on Wednesday night.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, United managed to turn the game around, securing a 3-2 victory. However, the Cameroonian international’s error has reignited debates surrounding his reliability.
A costly error raises concerns
The 28-year-old, who initially struggled upon arriving at Old Trafford, seemed to have steadied his form earlier this season, leading the league with six clean sheets. However, doubts resurfaced just four minutes into the encounter with Ipswich when his poor decision-making allowed Jaden Philogene to open the scoring.
Onana rushed to the edge of his box as Patrick Dorgu advanced, but the left wing-back’s touch – expecting Onana to remain in position – ended up as an easy chance for Philogene to slot into an open net. The former Aston Villa winger later added another goal, capitalizing on a deep cross that caught Onana off guard due to Liam Delap’s movement.
Football pundits were quick to highlight his errors. Speaking on TNT Sports, Robbie Savage questioned Onana’s decision to come off his line, stating, “I don’t understand why Onana is coming out like that. Dorgu had everything under control. He should’ve stayed back.” United legend Rio Ferdinand echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Onana’s misjudgment put his team in unnecessary danger. BBC Radio 5 Live’s Neil Lennon labeled the situation “a shambles.”
Consistency and questions over selection
United invested £47 million to bring Onana from Inter Milan in 2023 as a replacement for David de Gea, but concerns over his consistency persist. His mistakes in last season’s Champions League campaign played a significant role in United’s group-stage elimination.
This season, errors against Viktoria Plzen, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest had already put him under pressure before the Ipswich game. His miscalculation in a 1-0 loss to Tottenham, where he parried a weak shot directly to James Maddison for an easy goal, further raised questions.
Despite his shaky performances, Onana has retained his starting role over Turkish backup Altay Bayindir, who has made only seven appearances since joining in September 2023 and has yet to start a league game. This has led to debate over whether United made the right call in letting De Gea, Dean Henderson, and Matej Kovar depart for a combined fee much lower than what they paid for Onana.
Comparing Onana to De Gea
De Gea, now at Fiorentina in Serie A, serves as a point of comparison. The Spaniard, capped 45 times by his country, has a superior save percentage – 72% to Onana’s 65% – and has yet to make a major mistake leading to a goal, unlike Onana, who has three.
However, Onana has faced more shots (111 to De Gea’s 90) and has had to adapt to a tactical shift under new manager Ruben Amorim, who moved from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 system. Constant changes in United’s backline under Amorim, who has yet to name an unchanged starting XI in 23 matches, have likely impacted defensive cohesion.
Despite his errors, Onana has produced crucial saves this season. Yet, an unexpected statistic further questions his suitability: his passing accuracy, which was a key reason for his recruitment. De Gea, often criticized for his distribution, lags just 1% behind Onana’s passing success rate, despite making fewer passes. In his final season at United, De Gea’s completion rate of 73% actually surpassed Onana’s current percentage.
Former United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi, who himself had a high-profile mistake during his brief stint at Old Trafford, suggested Onana’s time at the club could be running out. “If the situation doesn’t improve by June, it might be best for him to move on,” he said in December.
With the latest blunder once again bringing his performances under scrutiny, Onana may now be questioning whether his future lies at Manchester United.
