Ten Hag backs Onana to follow in footsteps of two Man Utd greats as he answers Ratcliffe question
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag thinks Andre Onana is currently going through his “integration period” like former goalkeepers Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea.
The Red Devils spent €55m to bring the Cameroon international to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in the summer after Onana helped the Serie A side to reach last season’s Champions League final.
However, Onana has had a tricky start to life at Old Trafford with Man Utd making their worst to a season since 1986 before they beat Brentford 2-1 ahead of the international break.
Onana was even criticised against Brentford as some fans and pundits thought he should’ve done better with Mathias Jensen’s opening strike – but Man Utd boss Ten Hag is confident he will come good.
Ten Hag told reporters: “He knows, we know, he will do much better and as every player who’s coming into the Premier League, you need an integration period but he has to step up. Big United keepers like Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea started not doomed and Andre knows that it is good to know a little bit from history.
“We live now, we live in the future and he has to make his future by giving better performances. I’m sure he will do. He showed it at Barcelona, Ajax, Inter Milan, he was in semi-final and final of Champions League, I’m sure he will give a great performance.”
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Ten Hag insists he hasn’t heard any boos when Harry Maguire has played recently and insists the Man Utd centre-back “doesn’t deserve it”.
Ten Hag added: “I’ve not heard it [boos]. All of the fans were supportive for us against Brentford and the games before, I think we have a strong bond with our fans. I don’t think Harry is booed. He doesn’t deserve it. His performance against Brentford and for England he was very good.”
British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly closing in on a deal to buy 25 per cent of Man Utd from the Glazers but it is yet to be confirmed.
When asked about Ratcliffe’s potential minority investment, Ten Hag said: “No [have you been told anything]. So I’m not involved in this, others in the club are dealing with this, I’m focusing on my team, focusing on the current block and the most important priority is the next game, it’s all about that.”
Man Utd travel to Sheffield United on Saturday night as they return to Premier League action and he’s warned his players not to take the rock-bottom Blades lightly.
Ten Hag continued: “Every game in the Premier League is difficult, if you have seen their results against City and Spurs, they were very narrow wins. If you don’t play your best football, you can have a loss.
“We won our last game away, finally it’s not about that. You can’t figure out the past and last year we were third in the league, we won a cup, we were in another final, we live in the future, we have to change the future.”
