Were Manchester United right to get rid of David de Gea for Andre Onana?
Manchester United FC’s season hit a new low on Monday night as they lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace under the lights at Selhurst Park.
It was a steal score line to take home for the Red Devils, who could very easily have conceded even more. This was by no means a smash-and-grab from the Eagles, who throughout the game pulled the United defence apart in ways par excellence.
That Palace were able to to carry out such a performance under the coaching of a manager who hasn’t been in the job for even three months threw even more sideways glances at the United manager, Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman is losing favour faster than his side has dropped points this season, and his players are just as much in the crossfire.
With a defence boasting more holes than your average Swiss cheese, questions are being raised regarding André Onana. The Cameroon international has had a baptism of fire at the Theatre of Dreams in his first year and is constantly being compared to the club legend he has succeeded.
Naturally, as is customary for fans of a club not doing well to look to the days of past with yearning and teary eyes, a fair chunk of the United faithful are questioning whether David de Gea should have been moved on at all and whether he was actually detrimental to Ten Hag’s style of play.
A farewell long delayed
Let’s get one thing straight: regardless of what happens to either of them going forward, De Gea has and will go down in history a veritable Man United legend and one of the best goalkeepers of his time.
It is equally true, however, that the football De Gea was best suited for is now officially of a bygone era, and United should have moved him on a long time before they finally did.
Of course, that United handed him one big lucrative contract instead of timely moving him on is just one of many, many examples that illustrate how remarkably poor United have been with their squad management in the post-Sir Alex era.
There’s a reason the Spaniard has spent this whole season as a free agent, and it’s not because he didn’t fancy playing football.
Now, moving De Gea on was important, but when you see André Onana sending long balls to his fullbacks in the opposition box, you can be forgiven for asking “what was the point of asking for a good-on-the-ball keeper?”
Onana fits the bill stylistically for most modern-day teams. He was one of the most important players of Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan side that went toe-to-toe against Man City in the Champions League final last season. You don’t suddenly become a bad player out of nowhere, but the environment at United can make many players forget their skillsets.
Onana has shown his brilliance in fleeting moments this season. He’s further not helped by the backline he stands behind, which has been ridden with both injuries and tactical mishaps, leading to further drop in confidence, which does not help in an already-excruciating ecosystem.
Poor performances further worsened by confidence issues can really hamper a player’s career progress in the long term; Onana need only ask his predecessor for that.
Conclusion
David de Gea was one of United’s best players in one of their worst eras in recent history. Even as he bowed out belatedly, he did so with a Premier League golden glove.
Just as De Gea was bolstered by a team on the up, Onana has been hampered by a team tumbling down the steepest of cliffs. His long-term future at Old Trafford shall only be hampered by what the next manager thinks of him personally, for stylistically he is not an issue.
Timely player departures are just as important as regular player acquisitions for healthy squad management. United have failed to do both and continue reaping their rewards for the same.
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A lot of new things await us next season. A new sporting ownership resides at the club now, and they may very well want to find a new manager as well.
