Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag defends goalkeeper Andre Onana despite his costly mistakes against Galatasaray
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has backed goalkeeper Andre Onana after the goalkeeper’s costly mistake cost United the victory. United drew 3-3 to Galatasaray in a must-win Champions League Group A fixture at RAMS Park Stadium.
The Red Devils scored two quick goals within the first 20 minutes of the game to secure a healthy lead. The terrific start helped the visitors negate the psychological advantage Galatasaray had at home with their loud fanbase.
However, Onana made a costly error in the 29th minute by misreading Hakim Ziyech’s slow-paced free-kick. Nevertheless, United fought back and scored another goal after half-time through Scott McTominay’s clinical finish in the 55th minute.
The 27-year-old’s second mistake and probably the worst one came in the 62nd minute from another free-kick by Ziyech. The Cameroon international spilt a terrible save into his net to start a comeback for Galatasaray.
Ten Hag, speaking to reporters (h/t ESPN), emphasized that the team achieves wins, draws, and losses collectively and refrained from attributing blame to individuals. He said:
“As I said, it is not about individuals. Of course, individual errors in football can make a difference and you take responsibility for it, but it is always about the team. This team is good, all the players in the squad are good and deserve the best, to play for Manchester United, because they are brilliant players. And that counts for the whole squad.”
Onana has made three critical errors before this game in all competitions since joining the club during the summer. The Cameroon international made a costly mistake when Bayern Munich scored their first goal in the opening Champions League game.
The 27-year-old’s dreadful pass led to Casemiro’s red card when Galatasaray visited the Old Trafford in October. Furthermore, Onana made another error in the Premier League game against Brentford but thankfully McTominay’s late heroics saved the keeper.
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The 27-year-old succeeded legendary goalkeeper David De Gea during the summer with massive expectations. Onana played a pivotal role last season during Inter Milan’s Champions League campaign as the Italian club reached the final.
However, Onana has so far failed to justify the succession at Old Trafford as the fans and experts associated with the club lose patience.
