Update: Andre Onana’s Man Utd struggles – Ruben Amorim verdict, pundit criticism, transfer alternatives News

Ruben Amorim has decided to drop Andre Onana from his Manchester United squad for the Newcastle United match

Ruben Amorim has left Andre Onana out of his Manchester United squad for the Premier League fixture at Newcastle United.

The No.1 goalkeeper has been axed after another poor display during the 2-2 draw to Lyon in the Europa League in midweek. Onana, who cost United £47million from Inter Milan in July 2023, has started 69 successive Premier League matches.

However, his performances have often been questionable. Onana was at fault for both of Lyon’s goals, letting Thiago Almada’s in-swinging free-kick go all the way in and he fumbled Almada’s 95th-minute shot that was turned in by Rayan Cherki on the rebound.

Altay Bayindir, who recently returned from injury, could make his Premier League debut after joining the club from Fenerbahce in September 2023. The 26-year-old only has seven appearances across all competitions, but one of those came in the FA Cup against Arsenal earlier in the season.

Here, MEN Sport has taken a look at the latest about Onana following Amorim’s snub.

Ruben Amorim comments

Speaking to the media after the Lyon draw, Amorim came out in defence of Onana. He said: “If you look at the season I’ve made more mistakes than them during these last games and during these last months.

“There’s nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help him, so the most important thing is to be natural and then when the time comes I will choose the best XI to play. But I’m really confident in Andre. When one player makes a mistake, all the team makes a mistake so we continue like this.”

Pundits criticism

Paul Scholes

“He needs to be better,” Scholes said. “He’s had a really poor year and talking about other teams is probably not a wise thing to do.

“I think it’s something they have to think on. But you have to think budget-wise as well, where are the priorities in this team? Can you get away without spending money on a goalkeeper? He’s not been quite good enough, and maybe he needs a bit of competition. It’ll come down to money and what he’s got to spend.”

Gary Neville

“United’s goalkeeper [Onana] rolling his foot on the ball and waiting for things to happen. That’s not it, that’s not what this club is, that’s not what we do here,” Neville said after the stalemate in the Manchester derby.

“Liverpool don’t do that. You’ve got to be a top team with tempo in your play, rhythm in your play, get the ball moving, shift it quickly. The game today really was quite depressing for me, because I think we’ve seen a lot of these types of games.”

Jamie Carragher

“Unfortunately for Onana, at the start of his United career he has been responsible for turning victories into draws, and draws into defeats,” Carragher wrote in his column for the Telegraph. “Unlike in the great United teams of the past, he has too much to do and the more he has to deal with the more likely it is that another mistake is in the post.

“United’s perilous Champions League predicament is a direct consequence of his errors. Onana cost the team home and away against Galatasaray and was poor against Bayern Munich in the opening group game. Yes, he made a last minute penalty save against Copenhagen at Old Trafford, but the numerous minuses far outweigh that one positive.

“Onana has cost United too many cheap goals. The hope that the worst was behind him after a poor start to his Old Trafford career has been blown out of the water and Wednesday was a huge step backwards. Onana has already developed a reputation for being a liability. That will take a long time to overcome and reverse.”

Matic’s damning assessment

Prior to the Europa League tie between Lyon and United, there was a war of words between Nemanja Matic and United goalkeeper Andre Onana. “I think we are better than them, we just have to go there and show who we are,” Onana said.

The former Reds star Matic looked surprised when he was informed about Onana’s comment and told journalists: “I don’t know, to say that, you need to have cover for something like that. Onana? Pfttt.

“You know, I respect everyone, but to say that, then you need to give an answer. If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history, you need to take care of what you’re talking about.

“If David de Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar say that, I would question myself, but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United modern history, then he needs to show that before he says, so we will see.”

Onana’s own verdict

“We all have to improve in every aspect,” the Cameroonian said in November. “Me as a goalkeeper, my strikers, midfielders, defenders. But as I said, we’re together. We win together and we lose together.

“At the moment, we are not winning games as we want, but it will turn. If we continue working hard – and we are working hard at the moment – everything will be all right.”

Potential Onana replacements

Despite being under contract until the summer of 2028, Onana’s future at Old Trafford is unclear. United are likely to target a new goalkeeper this summer with Tom Heaton coming to the end of his contract.

They will not be short of talented options around European football.

Read who United could target, here.

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