One Manchester United outcast has been told he is “not good enough” to play for Rúben Amorim despite calls from fans for him to start against Newcastle.
Manchester United’s Europa League dream edged forward — but not without chaos — as they were held in a wild quarter-final under the lights in Lyon.
It all started going wrong in the 26th minute. A nothing-looking free kick from Thiago Almada drifted into the United box, over everyone’s heads. But to the shock of fans and teammates alike, André Onana completely misjudged it. The ball bounced inside the six-yard box and trickled into the net — a nightmare moment for the United keeper.
But the drama had only begun. As half-time approached, Bruno Fernandes whipped in a delicious cross that Lyon’s keeper could only flap at. The rebound fell to Manuel Ugarte, whose shot found Leny Yoro waiting in the box. The young defender made no mistake, prodding home to equalize and mark his first goal for United in style.
The second half saw United shift gears. The first 20 minutes after the restart were one-way traffic, with United piling the pressure on Lyon’s defense. Then, in the dying minutes, Kobbie Mainoo rose to flick a long ball into the path of Fernandes. The captain, with vision and precision, chipped a perfect pass into the stride of Joshua Zirkzee, who nodded it beyond Lucas Perri to put United in front.
Victory looked certain — until it all fell apart at the death. Lyon’s attack appeared to fizzle out as the ball rolled out for a goal kick. But Ainsley Maitland-Niles retrieved it quickly and fed Almada, who hooked a speculative ball into the box.
A pinball sequence ensued, ending with Moussa Niakhaté’s strike being spilled by Onana. Rayan Cherki was quickest to react, slamming home the equalizer in dramatic fashion to leave United stunned at the whistle.
United outcast “not good enough” to start
United legend Paul Scholes, who made 499 appearances for Manchester United, had quite a bit to say about the United goalkeeper Onana at full time, whose two mistakes ultimately led to the two Lyon goals.
However, despite fans calling for Amorim to start second-choice Altay Bayındır going forward, Scholes has claimed that Turkish international is “not good enough” to replace Onana and also questioned whether signing a new goalkeeper in the summer is a significant enough priority to spend funds on
Speaking on TNT Sports, Scholes said, “It [replacing Onana] is something they have to think of, but you have to think budget-wise as well. Where are the priorities in this team?
“Can you get away without spending money on a goalkeeper? Goalkeepers are one of the very important parts of a football team, of course they are.
“He’s not been quite good enough, and maybe he needs a bit of competition as well. It’s quite clear that the number two, they’ve got the Turkish lad, probably isn’t good enough to step into his place.”
Amorim may have to survive with Onana
This coming summer, it seems that United’s priority signings are more geared toward replacing the club’s front line than the goalkeepers and defenders, with endless links to those such as Liam Delap and Victor Osimhen circling.
Speaking further on United’s summer priorities, Scholes stated it may be worth United “surviving” with Onana for a further season in order to sign new forwards rather than spending money on a new shot-stopper this summer.
“It’ll come down to money and what he’s got to spend,” he continued. “If he thinks he needs more forwards, more midfield players, and he can just save £30-40 million with a goalkeeper, then just try and survive with it.
“Because we’ve seen this goalkeeper, he’s capable. At Ajax, he was good; at Inter Milan, he was good, especially with his feet. That’s another issue. He was brought up to be a good footballer. That hasn’t quite happened, as well.
“As well as conceding the goal, which is the most important thing, I don’t think his passing and distribution from the back has been great. There are a lot of problems for Rúben Amorim that he’s got a lot to solve long term.”
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