Altay Bayindir had a difficult season that only got worse when he played for Turkey against Portugal in Euro 2024. As the back-up goalkeeper for Manchester United, Bayindir was involved in a disastrous own goal by Samet Akaydin, contributing to Turkey’s 3-0 defeat. The day got worse for him as United captain Bruno Fernandes scored the final goal after receiving a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo. Turkey was losing 1-0 when Bayindir rushed off his line, but a miscommunication between defender Akaydin resulted in a chaotic situation. Akaydin’s pass went past the goalkeeper and crossed the line before he could react. Gary Neville, a former United defender working as a pundit for ITV, criticized Bayindir for his role in the goal, attributing a significant portion of the blame to the player. Neville mentioned that the defender did not pay attention to the goalkeeper’s positioning and stated that when a goalkeeper moves forward in a tight space between the ball and the defender, it usually leads to a negative outcome. This cocktail is not very good, and I think the goalkeeper should remain in his current position. Altay Bayindir and Turkey’s defender Zeki Celik show their disappointment after allowing an own goal against Portugal. This was just one of many challenges Bayindir has faced this season, going from being the top choice at Fenerbahce to a backup role at United behind Andre Onana. United brought in two new goalkeepers last summer to replace David de Gea and Dean Henderson. Andre Onana, who previously played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, recently transferred from Inter Milan for £43.8 million. Additionally, Turkey goalkeeper Bayindir was signed on deadline day for £4.3 million to provide support as a back-up. Despite facing challenges adapting to Premier League football, Onana played more than Bayindir last season. Bayindir only featured in one game, a 4-2 FA Cup win over Newport County. Despite Bayindir likely expecting more playing time, even in Carabao Cup matches against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, Onana was chosen by Ten Hag. Similarly, in the FA Cup match against underdog Wigan Athletic, Onana postponed his departure for the African Cup of Nations to participate in a game that Bayindir could have easily played in. As a result, Onana only ended up missing one game, against Newport, leaving Bayindir sitting unused on the bench for United.
