Roy Keane has reacted to Rúben Amorim leaving André Onana out of Manchester United’s starting line-up against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
Andre Onana had a rough midweek against Lyon, with the Manchester United number one being at fault for two goals as his side let a 2-1 lead slip late on against the French side. The former Ajax man has now been dropped from the squad entirely, with Altay Bayındır now set to make his first Premier League start.
Bayindir has not featured since the Arsenal game in the FA Cup, where he ended up being a hero in the shootout, and he has today been called upon by his manager to replace Onana, who has been taken out of the firing line by his manager after a difficult week.
Roy Keane has been speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the game during the pre-match coverage, and he has been discussing the decision by the manager to exclude the Cameroonian goalkeeper from the lineup.
Keane was complimentary of Onana’s league form, highlighting that United’s defence has not been the main issue but also pointing out that he has made some high-profile mistakes that have caused the decision to be made. A decision the Irishman believes is a big call.
Roy Keane reacts to Onana’s exclusion
Speaking on the situation on Sky Sports, Keane had this to say: “He is obviously under pressure, and of course, football is about making mistakes, but of course, if you’re a goalkeeper and you make a mistake and it leads to a goal, then obviously, you’re going to be criticised.”
“It’ll be interesting if he is left out today because I think it’s also difficult for another goalkeeper to come in to get up to speed so quickly.”
“Maybe he’ll just leave him out for the weekend and almost recharge the batteries for the game coming up on Thursday, you know; we’ll see. But that’s the manager’s job – to make big decisions.
“I think he’s done okay in the league. United defensively actually haven’t been too bad. The big problem is going forward they don’t score enough goals, but the keeper has made some big mistakes, and he’s been punished for it, so it’s a big call for the manager.”
It will be the first time Onana has not started a Premier League game for the club since he signed in the summer of 2023. It’s currently unknown whether Rúben Amorim will allow the keeper to return to the squad for the game at Old Trafford against Lyon on Wednesday, but for now, he has completely been left out.
David Ornstein made a statement on NBC Sports regarding the situation on Sunday afternoon, stating that Onana accepted the decision in a professional manner when it was given to him without creating a fuss or causing any issues, even though it was undoubtedly difficult to accept.
The journalist also mentions that Onana’s new agent could have to work on earning him a move away from the club this summer, as opposed to the original plan of a new contract.
Amorim right to relieve Onana
Onana is a good goalkeeper, but Thursday was a difficult night, and mentally, it’s unlikely he will have recovered in such a short time. The atmosphere at St. James Park is hostile, and the spectators would be observing everything he did and hoping for his demise.
That type of atmosphere is not something that makes it easy to play yourself back into form. Old Trafford on Thursday, with the crowd behind him, is a more suitable place to bring Onana back, but that may depend on how Bayindir performs.
United’s players and manager have been behind Onana in interviews after the game on Thursday, with both Amorim and Joshua Zirkzee backing him publicly, and the decision to exclude him from the squad is more of a help to the player than a true punishment.
He will play for United again this season, and it’s unlikely to be long before we see Onana back between the sticks for the side in red.
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