Roland Cutinho
Manchester United shot-stopper Andre Onana had a game to forget as he conceded a long-distance opening goal against RC Lens
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has accepted responsibility for the goal conceded against RC Lens, where he was lobbed from just inside his own half.
In his home debut, the African shot-stopper faced a challenging start as United secured a 3-1 comeback win against Lens in a friendly match.
The Cameroon international experienced a difficult moment when Lens striker Sotoca capitalised on his poor positioning and lobbed the ball into the net from 40 yards.
During the match, United’s full-back Diogo Dalot made a careless pass, leading to a turnover of possession. Seizing the opportunity, former Montpellier striker Sotoca took a first-time shot and scored an audacious goal, putting his team ahead.
Sotoca deserves credit for his long-range effort that resulted in the goal, but there will be questions raised about Onana’s positioning as the goalkeeper during the play.
In his post-match interview with MUTV, the 27-year-old goalkeeper took full responsibility for the goal conceded during the match. As quoted by the Manchester Evening News, he said:
“I’m happy for the win. Of course, we can always be better. Some things we have to try to fix. Like I always say, I am responsible for everything, especially when we concede goals.”
“I’m the big man at the back, so I take all the criticism, all the pressure on me. It was a great game for me and for the guys, some important goals and I’m happy for everything.”
While Onana will undoubtedly bring numerous advantages to Man United, there is also a potential risk associated with a goalkeeper playing far from the goal, as demonstrated during the 3-1 victory against Lens.
The African star’s proficiency with the ball at his feet and his readiness to venture well beyond his penalty area will upgrade United’s build-up play, which was not possible with former keeper David de Gea.
However, this style of play also comes with the risk that when a play breaks down, the experienced keeper might find himself out of position, which was precisely what occurred in the first half at Old Trafford.
Onana is a modern-day goalkeeper who is not afraid to take risks to benefit his team. Erik ten Hag specifically sought a goalkeeper with excellent ball-playing skills, and the former Ajax player perfectly fits that criteria.
He is a sweeper-keeper, often positioning himself as an extra player between the centre defenders, enabling his team to push more players into the opponent’s half. The No. 24 welcomes pressure and utilises his exceptional passing abilities to find his teammates.
However, this approach also comes with a risk-reward dynamic. Other Premier League teams will likely study Sotoca’s goal multiple times and devise strategies to exploit Onana’s positioning in future encounters.
Hence, Ten Hag should be careful about this issue. There is no doubt that Onana is a top-class keeper, and the fans must rally behind the former Inter Milan goalkeeper and have faith in his potential for further improvement.
It’s worth noting that even top goalkeepers like Ederson and Alisson Becker experienced moments of conceding sloppy goals when they first arrived at Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively.
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They persevered through those challenges and have since become instrumental in their teams’ dominance in the English top flight over the past five to six years.
In our opinion, one should never judge a player too early, only to regret it later.
