Edwin van der Sar, the former Manchester United goalkeeper, has hinted that Andre Onana’s struggles are not the only issue at Old Trafford, as Ruben Amorim left the shot-stopper out of the squad for the Premier League clash against Newcastle United.
Onana, who has been a constant presence in goal for the Reds, starting 69 consecutive Premier League games since his arrival in 2023, was dropped following a disappointing performance in the 2-2 draw with Lyon in the Europa League.
The keeper has faced criticism for a series of underwhelming displays, notably failing to stop an in-swinging free-kick from Lyon’s Thiago Almada and being unable to prevent Almada’s last-minute shot, which led to Rayan Cherki scoring on the rebound.
Van der Sar spoke about Onana’s situation earlier this year, stating that despite the current difficulties, the goalkeeper has a promising future ahead. “I think that it’s quite early but Andre [Onana] has a fantastic career in front of him,” he said. “He’s gaining more experience.
“He has all the qualities that a goalkeeper needs so I’m sure for the next five to six years he will keep improving. He has the right attitude to be the goalkeeper for Man United for a very long time.
“Manchester United need consistent performances. This year getting back into the Champions League is probably not going to happen – the top four is too far away with too many teams in front.
“With a good pre-season and one or two quality signings up front and maybe in midfield, United should be fine to challenge for those positions again. In terms of signings, nowadays they have good people on board, technical people. I’m sure they are qualified to get the right people in the door.”
In stark contrast to Van der Sar’s optimism, Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel provided a more unsettling analysis of Onana’s performance: “It’s a difficult one. I’m not going goalkeepers’ union here, but it’s a difficult one because some people are running across you. But I still think he should have dealt with it,” Schmeichel said on talkSPORT.
“The second one, again, I felt that he should have kept it. Yeah, it’s a hard shot, but it’s straight at him. Is he the problem? Is the defence the problem? Is the midfield? I think there are so many issues Ruben Amorim needs to sort out. I mean, I would be very uncomfortable with just pointing to one player.
“But it’s not great to watch, I have to say that. You never feel safe. You never feel that, even going 2-1 up, that this is it. You always fear that the other team’s going to come back in the game, and they did, but a 2-2 away from home is not bad, and they’ve done well at Old Trafford in the Europa League.”
