Erik ten Hag disagrees with club legend about “overworked” Man United star

Andy Cole believes that one Manchester United star has been “overworked” under Erik ten Hag this season.

Cole is one of many people who believe that the defensive situation at Old Trafford is for from ideal and he suggests that André Onana has been forced into a lot of work this term.

The United goalkeeper who signed in the summer was expected to help transition the team into a more ball-dominant one, but various other factors have meant that the team is nowhere near there.

United regularly concede more than 20 shots in games, and Onana is having to be busy between the sticks.

Despite his earlier difficulties in the Champions League, the Cameroon international has quickly become one of United’s best players.

“He’s definitely overworked at the moment and that’s why we’re talking about him,” Cole told BetFred.

“He’s producing a hell of a lot of saves, and many of them are ones that he shouldn’t even have to produce, but because Manchester United continue to give the ball away in certain areas so easily, the goalkeeper has been their MVP on a lot of occasions. He has unbelievable feet too.

“Fair play to him because he had a tough start, but now he’s starting to show what a good goalkeeper he is.”

However, manager Ten Hag believes it is a “ridiculous” narrative that his team are conceding too many shots at goal.

The Dutchman states that the team defend well together and that Onana’s solid shotstopping aids the team as well – he does not view it as a problem.

“It is ridiculous,” he said. We showed we were fourth-ranking goals in conceding and everyone is talking to each other after, we are good and we have good defending as a team and a good goalkeeper so I cannot do nothing,” he said.