It was no secret that Andre Onana was signed by Manchester United more for his exceptional ball-handling skills than for his ability to stop shots. However, they failed to recognise that a goalkeeper’s main responsibility is to prevent the ball from entering the net because they were eager to improve their build-up play following a 12-year tenure with David de Gea.
And based on the previous four months, it appears that Onana is incapable of completing that task. Everyone associated with the Cameroonian’s brief tenure at United has endured a traumatic experience, starting with his Old Trafford debut in a friendly against Lens, when he was lobbed from the halfway line.
However, the £47 million ($59 million) acquisition has had some particularly traumatic Champions League nights. His disastrous performance in the 3-3 draw at Galatasaray, which leaves United bottom of Group A with one game remaining, was the worst of the lot.
For United to advance to the round of 16, they must defeat Bayern Munich in their last group match and hope that Copenhagen’s match against Galatasaray ends in a draw. Stated differently, they require a miracle. And if they fail, Onana will bear the primary responsibility for their brief reappearance in Europe’s top competition.
Prior to recording three consecutive clean sheets, Onana had a difficult beginning to his Premier League career, giving up 16 goals in his first ten games. However, his Champions League stats make for even more depressing reading. The Cameroonian has allowed 14 goals and kept just one clean sheet in just five European games for United.
United now has the second-worst defensive record in the Champions League—only Royal Antwerp, with 15 goals allowed, is worse. Though United, as three-time European Cup winners, have much higher standards, the Belgian champions can be given some leeway because they are participating in the competition for the first time since 1957. And To be honest, Onana isn’t meeting them.
Although United’s outfield players haven’t always helped Onana by losing games and blowing leads three times, the goalkeeper has been largely responsible for their demise. In three games in particular, Onana made particularly noticeable mistakes, and United only managed to secure one point out of a possible nine.
Leroy Sane’s soft shot squirmed under his body to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 lead in their eventual 4-3 victory in Bavaria, setting off his traumatic campaign. Meanwhile, with the score tied 2-2 against Galatasaray at Old Trafford, he made a thoughtless floor pass that was collected by Dries Mertens. Due to his error, Casemiro was forced to make a last-ditch tackle, which resulted in him giving up a penalty and being dismissed. Galatasaray eventually made their numerical advantage count, and Mauro Icardi missed the mark from the penalty spot. However, a few minutes later, the Argentine scored to secure a 3-2 victory.