Andre Onana, the goalkeeper for Manchester United, is facing criticism as his important saves are outweighed by mistakes and inconsistent performance this season. Some fans on the Manchester Evening News comments page speculate about how different the season might be if David de Gea had agreed to a new contract in 2023. Since moving from Inter Milan in 2023, Onana has both thrilled and disappointed supporters, as former manager Erik ten Hag emphasized the need for a goalkeeper with strong ball-playing abilities to enhance Manchester United’s style of play. De Gea left the club earlier that summer after contract talks failed, spending a year as a free agent before joining Fiorentina in Serie A this season. Given United’s difficult situation, it’s understandable to contemplate how things could have changed had different choices been made in the past. His future at the club is uncertain, as analysts have varying views on how his career will progress. Some supporters, including a reader named Realperson, have come to Onana’s defense, stating: “Every goalkeeper has their off moments.” I recall Peter Schmeichel having a tough time during the 1996-1997 season when Newcastle defeated us 5-0 despite only taking five shots. However, he wasn’t a poor goalkeeper, and we ended up winning the league. “As Van der Sar mentioned last week, Onana possesses all the qualities of an excellent goalkeeper.” Since December, he has produced some excellent saves, yet he has also made a few mistakes. However, his manager keeps adjusting the defensive lineup, which complicates things for him even more. Commenter Medan25 concurs: “Any goalkeeper can err.” One could evaluate a goalkeeper based on a few uncommon errors.
