Calamity Onana: How he compares to 4 times Man Utd player of season De Gea

Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana is back in the spotlight after his mistake gifted Ipswich Town an early lead in their Premier League clash on Wednesday night.

Despite being reduced to ten men before halftime, United fought back to secure a 3-2 victory. However, Onana’s error has reignited concerns over his reliability between the posts.

The 28-year-old had a shaky start to life at Old Trafford but seemed to have steadied himself earlier this season, boasting the most clean sheets in England’s top flight at one point. Yet, just four minutes into the match against Ipswich, he provided more fuel for his critics.

Rushing to the edge of his penalty area as Patrick Dorgu advanced, Onana’s positioning left his teammate stranded.

Dorgu’s attempted pass, expecting the keeper to be in position, instead set up Jaden Philogene for a simple tap-in. Later in the match, Philogene struck again, delivering a deep cross that deceived Onana, thanks to Liam Delap’s movement across him.

Former Blackburn and Wales midfielder Robbie Savage was baffled by Onana’s actions. Speaking on TNT Sports, he said: "I've got no idea why Onana is running out to that position. Dorgu had it under control. He shouldn’t come there. It’s a simple situation—talk to your defender, let him lay it back to you, and clear it."

Ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand echoed the sentiment, adding: "It was a terrible start. Onana doesn't need to come. The full-back is in complete control. Just hold your ground and let him play it back."

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon was equally unimpressed, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't know where Onana is going. It is a shambles."

United spent £47m to bring Onana from Inter Milan in 2023 as a successor to club legend David de Gea. However, he has struggled to shake the perception that his inconsistency adds to the fragility of a struggling side.

His high-profile mistakes in the Champions League contributed significantly to United’s early exit from the competition. Domestically, errors against Viktoria Plzen, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest have further dented his credibility. His mishandling of a weak Lucas Bergvall shot, which led to James Maddison’s winner in a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, only added to the scrutiny.

With Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayındır yet to start a Premier League game since arriving in September 2023, questions are being raised about United’s decision to offload De Gea, Dean Henderson, and Matej Kovář while spending nearly double on Onana.

De Gea, now at Fiorentina, has statistically outperformed Onana this season. The Spaniard boasts a 72% shot-save percentage compared to Onana’s 65% and has yet to commit a single error directly leading to a goal, whereas Onana has three.

To be fair, De Gea has faced fewer shots (90 to Onana’s 111), and United’s ever-changing defensive setup under Ruben Amorim has hardly helped the Cameroonian settle. Amorim has yet to name an unchanged starting XI in any of his 23 games in charge, often substituting one of his three central defenders mid-match, further disrupting defensive cohesion.

Still, one surprising statistic undermines Onana’s perceived strength—his passing accuracy. Brought in to improve United’s build-up play, Onana has only a 1% higher completion rate than De Gea, despite the Spaniard’s reputation for being less adept with his feet. In fact, De Gea’s final season at United saw him complete passes at a 73% rate—higher than Onana’s current numbers.

Former United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi, infamous for his own blunders, believes Onana’s time at Old Trafford could be limited. Speaking to The Sun, he suggested:

*"Subconsciously, the United environment isn’t ideal for him. When a marriage is showing cracks, it’s pointless to continue.

I’d tell him, ‘Andre, you’re one of the best keepers in Europe, but in the Premier League, you’re underperforming. Block out criticism, reset, and go again. But if things don’t improve by June, move on.’"*

After his latest high-profile error, Onana may soon be wondering whether his United career is nearing an early end.