da fazobetai： The Red Devils' goalkeeper has gone from the butt of all jokes to an indomitable force in the face of relentless pressure
da premier bet： Manchester United set an unwanted record last weekend but at least one person came out of it looking good; Erik ten Hag's side conceded 23 shots on goal in their unconvincing 2-0 win over Everton – the most efforts any team has received in a Premier League game without letting in a goal since 2010.
The statistic did not reflect well on Ten Hag's ability to organise his team or on his porous midfield, but it did reflect well on Andre Onana, who made six saves against the Toffees. Another worrying statistic soon emerged: United had faced 20 or more shots in five of their past six Premier League games. However, during those games, they had conceded just five goals and kept two clean sheets – another positive reflection on Onana.
After being justifiably blamed for the team's poor results earlier in the season and particularly their failure in the Champions League, the Cameroonian has turned the narrative on its head. Whereas before he was cited as one of the main factors in United's troubles, now he is bailing his side out. It has taken some time, but the real Onana is now standing up and standing tall.
GettyKeeping busy yet keeping clean sheets
It is never easy for any player to adapt to a new league, particularly goalkeepers. David de Gea had a famously rocky first year in England after arriving from Spain and even Peter Schmeichel had some teething problems when he switched from Brondby in Denmark to United in 1991. Yet despite a lot of the negative press Onana has received, he has taken pretty well to the Premier League.
The United keeper has kept eight clean sheets this season and only Arsenal's David Raya (with nine) has kept more. Onana's record looks particularly impressive when you consider that United have faced 467 shots, with only bottom-placed Sheffield United conceding more.
But while the Blades have by far the worst defensive record in the English top flight, United have the joint-third best, letting in 39 goals. Only Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City respectively have conceded fewer.
AdvertisementGettyChampions League nightmare
Curiously, Onana was one of the best goalkeepers in last season's Champions League, conceding only 11 times in 13 matches with Inter, who he helped reach the final. His return to Europe's top competition with United, however, was a nightmare from start to finish.
It began with him carelessly letting Leroy Sane's tame shot pass under his body to give Bayern Munich the lead in an eventual 4-3 defeat. His shipped three goals in his next game against Galatasaray and gifted the visitors a penalty and a man advantage by sending the ball straight to an opponent, leading to Casemiro making a last-ditch tackle and getting sent off.
He conceded four more against Copenhagen and three more away to Galatasaray, reacting particularly poorly to two free-kicks from Hakim Ziyech as United twice squandered two-goal leads to draw 3-3. Onana ended the campaign conceding 15 times in six games, with only Royal Antwerp shipping more goals. And United finished bottom of their group, leaving them with no more European football and depriving them of valuable income.
Getty ImagesDespair in Istanbul
Goalkeepers need a thick skin and Onana normally fronts up after making mistakes, but he was inconsolable after making two howlers against Galatasaray in Istanbul. At full-time he ripped off both his gloves and was seen gesticulating in frustration, waiting alone on the pitch in the driving rain before eventually joining his team-mates back in the dressing room.
It is believed that several players had began to lose faith in him and wished that De Gea, who was mercilessly denied a new contract by the club the previous summer, had stayed on instead. According to , one team-mate said to him in training: “Are you going to save one or what?”
Onana also began to doubt himself, reportedly telling a friend: “I don’t know what is happening to me with these mistakes. I always have confidence in myself but now I’m losing it.”
GettyTen Hag's show of faith
A turning point came when he managed to keep a clean sheet at at Liverpool as United drew 0-0 in a match many people had expected to be a blood bath. The Red Devils did lose two of their next three games at West Ham and Nottingham Forest but Onana was not at fault in either defeat.
And crucially, he got a big vote in confidence from Ten Hag as United negotiated with Cameroon and he was allowed to join up late with his national team for the Africa Cup of Nations so he could play for United against Tottenham and Wigan. It might have seemed like a lack of respect towards back-up keeper Altay Bayindir, but it demonstrated how much United value Onana.
As it turned out, Onana probably wished he had never joined up with Cameroon as he made just one appearance and conceded three goals against Senegal, leaving the tournament with a zero percent save rate.