Andre Onana (27, Manchester United) is getting some stinging advice.
“He’s making silly mistakes with the ball and keeping it,” legendary United winger Lee Sharp said in an interview, according to a report in the Daily Express.
“I still think Onana can improve,” he said. But first, he needs to learn the basics of goalkeeping quickly.”
United drew 3-3 with Galatasaray in the fifth leg of their UEFA Champions League Group A match of the 2023/2024 season at the Neft Stadium in Turkkiye Istanbul on March 30.
It was disappointing. It was a winnable game. United took an early lead when Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandez scored back-to-back goals in the 11th and 18th minutes of the first half.
The trouble came next. Hakim Ziyech pulled one back in the 29th minute with a picturesque free kick. It was a promising play from Galatasaray, but it was also a lack of concentration from Onana, who failed to react at all.
Scott McTominay’s goal in the 10th minute of the second half didn’t mean much. A ridiculous goal in the 17th minute put a damper on United’s mood. Onana nervously flicked away a Ziyech free-kick from the edge of the box and the ball went straight into the goal.
Eventually, they equalized. In the 26th minute of the second half, Karem Akhturkolu broke into the United defense and fired home an audacious shot. Once again, Onana was unable to make the save.
Onana was not immune to criticism. Legendary Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes said, “Onana makes people nervous. He makes defenders nervous, he makes the team nervous. He makes shots that should be easy to stop look really difficult.”
“I think Onana was responsible for all three goals. Onana shouldn’t have given up the near post on the third goal. His positioning was terrible,” he added, raising the level of criticism.
Onana’s struggles have led some to miss David de Gea. The Red Devils made the bold decision to let De Gea go in hopes of generationalizing their goalkeeping, but so far the results have been disappointing.
“Letting De Gea go was a rash decision,” said Lee Sharp. What De Gea has achieved at United over the last 10 years has been incredible,” said Lee Sharp.
“He’s won the player of the year award. He was the fans’ player of the year. God knows how many times. It was a shock to get rid of him in that way.”
