André Onana has sent a strong message about his Manchester United difficulties after departing on loan to Turkish side Trabzonspor.
Manchester United’s goalkeeping problems have been clear in recent seasons, and André Onana has struggled to recapture his best form since joining from Inter Milan in 2023.
Once viewed as one of Europe’s standout ball-playing goalkeepers, the 29-year-old has been unable to deliver the same performances at Old Trafford.
After the deadline-day signing of Senne Lammens, early reports indicated that Onana and Altay Bayındır would battle for the No.1 role under Rúben Amorim.
But in a surprising twist, Onana was instead sent on loan to Trabzonspor in Turkey, where he is also set to receive a pay rise.
Onana sends strong message about his United difficulties
Onana was often blamed for many of United’s defensive errors over the last year but the Cameroon goalkeeper has stated that United’s difficulties were down to the team as a whole, rather than him or anyone else as individuals.
He told CNN Turkey: “We don’t play individual sports. You experience both wins and losses together. You might not see certain details in victories, but those details come to the fore in losses.”
Speaking further, Onana expressed his feelings for the Old Trafford faithful. “I love the Manchester fans and have a good relationship with them. I wish them success.”
The goalkeeper provided a standout performance for Trabzonspor in his competitive debut last week and will be hoping to find form again on a consistent basis in Turkey.
“We will compete here, sometimes we will lose, sometimes we will win. I want to have a good season and be successful,” added Onana. “I consider myself a modern player. I try to adapt to the team’s needs.”
Onana must take some responsibility
While Onana is spot on in that football is a team game, there are undeniably important positions that can impact the rest of the team.
His lack of strength and calmness at the back has regularly spread to the backline in games at Old Trafford and he must take some level of responsibility for that.
Read More: “My expectation…” – What Manchester United players have said about Senne Lammens starting vs Chelsea
Ruben Amorim has regularly mentioned that United have not been good enough in both boxes and on the defensive side, a lot of that comes down to the poor performances from the goalkeeper.
United fans will be hoping that Lammens can offer that calm and quality in between the sticks which Onana and Bayındır could not.
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