Man Utd star ‘frustrates’ ex-Premier League goalkeeper after lack of impact at Old Trafford
Andre Onana has been through a number of highs and lows in the one year he has been at Manchester United since joining from Inter Milan.
Onana joined up with former boss Erik ten Hag, as has been the case for a number of the Dutchman’s former players’, but has failed to hit the heights according to former Liverpool and Manchester City goalkeeper David James.
United faced a tough season last campaign, with Onana just as responsible for that as any other player, and would probably take even more accountability for the Reds’ group stage exit in the Champions League.
On Onana’s performances, James said: “I’m frustrated with what Onana has brought to the club since he joined from Inter Milan.
“When he signed from Inter, I was expecting him to have a transformative effect on the way that Manchester United play. I wanted him to bring the ball-playing ability to the team, that passing range.”
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United spent £47m on the Cameroon international, though they have failed to get the best out of him so far, not playing to his advantages, instead, often forcing Onana to play long.
James continued: “For whatever reason, Onana hasn’t been the best version of himself since he joined the club and that’s disappointing. They wanted a keeper who was good with his feet and could pick pinpoint passes over long distances, because that brings variety to your play. That is what Onana is capable of, and we haven’t seen it at United.”
Ten Hag sees Onana as an extremely important figure within the dressing room despite the mistakes he has made in his time at Old Trafford.
Since switching Milan for Manchester, the 28-year-old has missed just two games, both coming in the cup competitions.
Before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, Cameroon allowed Onana to join up with the squad later on due to a request from United to allow him to play in a Premier League game against Spurs.
James added: “You always look at the individual first and wonder why they’re not performing. Is the problem Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff? It doesn’t make sense that he’s not doing the things that United signed him for when he pulls on the shirt.
“I look at Arsenal’s signing of David Raya. He is starting to fulfil the potential that the club saw in him when they signed him, and you could say that he is the best version of himself at Arsenal. That simply isn’t the case for Onana at Manchester United.”