Former United States and Everton goalkeeper, Tim Howard has revealed he was left stunned by a comment made by Manchester United goalkeeper, Andre Onana during pre-season.
In a recent interview, Andre Onana was quoted to have said he would take a lot of risks in the coming season.
While being questioned about his style of play which has been a subject of criticism during his time in England, Onana said,” That’s me and I think it’s what you’re going to see this season because I will take a lot of risks. I can tell you in advance already! Because it’s going to be this season, trust me! I will enjoy it more when the season starts”.
Andre Onana recently kept a clean sheet while making two key saves in Manchester United’s opening day 1-0 victory over Fulham. He looked quite assured in goal unlike last season and was clutch when called to action. But this came after he confirmed he would not be taking the conservative approach this season.
Onana joined Manchester United in a £45 million deal from Italian Serie A side Inter Milan last summer, but he has had a topsy-turvy start to life at the theatre of dreams. He conceded 58 goals in the English Premier League last season including a lot of high-profile errors. The jury remains out on him till the point of writing on whether he can be classified as a good signing or not for United and if indeed he is an improvement to former Reds goalie David de Gea.
It was a sharp contrast to his time at Inter Milan. Recall that he had a brilliant 2022/23 campaign, winning the UEFA Champions League goalkeeper of the season after helping Inter Milan to a remarkable final before losing to Manchester City by a lone goal. Onana also conceded the least number of goals in the Champions League that year.
However, he has far struggled to replicate the form he showed in Ajax and Inter Milan. The Cameroonian has failed to seamlessly replace former Spain international David De Gea who spent twelve years at Manchester United.
The Cameroon international made several
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high-profile errors in his debut campaign at the Red Devils, most notably against Bayern Munich when he failed to deal with a routine strike from German forward Leroy Sane in last season’s UEFA Champions League Group A match.
Also, he remarkably made two errors in a 3-3 stalemate against Turkish giants Galatasaray, and that cost his team all three points. He only cost his team key points from winning positions that could have seen them finish better than eighth – which was their worst finish in Premier League history.
Onana, who referred to some of the best teams in the world playing out from the back, believes building play from the back enables him to recognize things and dominate more. Many will keep an eye out on if the Cameroonian will make any ‘mistakes’ this season and based on that, Manchester United tickets will also see a surge in demand for the 2024/25 season.
What did Tim Howard say about Onana’s comments?
In a recent interview with NBC Sports, former Everton and Manchester United goalkeeper, Tim Howard expressed shock at the comments made by the current Manchester United goalkeeper.
Howard in his interview said, ”I’m rarely surprised at things in football. [But] I was utterly shocked to hear Onana say ‘Be prepared I will take a lot more risks this season’.
”He conceded 58 goals, that number has to come down, he can ill-afford to make too many mistakes. Some of the goals that went past him were very, very saveable. The fact he’s willing to take more risks I guess is exciting and compelling.
“I wasn’t convinced last year, but right now he has a lot to prove. He has brilliant ability but he hasn’t put that into place and too many goals are going in that need to be saved.”
Tim Howard who was at Manchester United between 2003 and 2007 and was signed to replace Fabian Barthez as first-team goalkeeper, enjoyed relative success at Old Trafford, notably winning the 2003 FA Community Shield, 2003/04 FA Cup, and the 2005/05 League Cup before switching to Merseyside, where he played for Everton till 2016.
Howard
believes that Onana should simplify his game and improve his distribution abilities. Howard’s shock at Onana’s comment comes from the fact that as a former goalkeeper, caution and safety were top priorities.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that football has changed and evolved from what it was years ago. During Howard’s time, goalkeepers were expected to be safe nets. It was a rarity to even see shot-stoppers venture out of their box 18. But that is a normal thing now.
Several top goalkeepers have lost their places in teams due to their inability to pass the ball well. A key example is former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Due to the evolving nature of the sports, goalkeepers are now tasked to play out with their feet to support the team against ‘press’ from opposing teams. Onana’s comment represents the new era of goalkeepers who are more tasked with playing out rather than shot-stopping.
Despite his initial shock at Onana’s comment, Howard recognized the importance of risk-taking as a goalkeeper. Howard’s playing career was also marked by moments of risk-taking although he was more cautious in his approach.
The former American goalkeeper believes there has to be a balance between risk and safety and his criticism of Onana’s comment showed that he believed that goalkeepers should be safe and reliable and are supposed to protect the goal.
What next for Onana and Manchester United?
After an opening day victory over Fulham, courtesy of a debut goal from Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee, Onana, and Manchester United play Brighton and Hove Albion in next Saturday’s early kickoff. They will be looking to build momentum as the season progresses.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Onana’s statement will serve as a motivation or will make him a subject of criticism as it has been during his stay in England.
