Van der Sar gives view on Onana career after Amorim drops him for Newcastle clash

Edwin van der Sar has stood up for Andre Onana, suggesting he’s not the sole issue at Manchester United, despite Ruben Amorim’s bold call to drop the goalkeeper for the Newcastle game.

A fierce debate saw United legend Peter Schmeichel claim fans “never feel safe” with Onana, following his costly errors in the 2-2 Europa League draw with Lyon last week.

Onana’s nightmare in Lyon saw him fumble Thiago Almada’s free-kick for the opener and misjudge Corentin Tolisso’s shot, allowing Rayan Cherki to nick a 95th-minute equaliser.

The blunders—his ninth and tenth errors leading to goals since last season, per Opta—drew fire from Schmeichel on talkSPORT, who backed Nemanja Matic’s barb that Onana ranks among United’s worst-ever keepers.

But Van der Sar, speaking to TNT Sports in January, offered a different take: “Andre’s got a fantastic career ahead. Things haven’t clicked at United, but it’s not just him—the whole team’s struggling.”

Amorim’s decision to drop Onana against Newcastle, opting for Altay Bayindir has raised eyebrows. Sources say Onana’s confidence is “shot” after Lyon, with United contacting Brighton about Bart Verbruggen (£40m, per Gazzetta dello Sport).

Van der Sar’s support echoes his Instagram post from January, where he called Onana “a guy” with three applause emojis after a chat at Craven Cottage.

The Dutch icon, who won four Premier Leagues and the 2008 Champions League in 266 United games, knows the Old Trafford pressure cooker.

Schmeichel, with 398 appearances and 15 trophies, is equally authoritative, but his “never feel safe” dig—tied to Onana’s 63.7% save rate (vs. David de Gea’s 72.5% at Fiorentina)—has split fans.

On X, the divide is stark: @MUFC_Tom tweeted, “Van der Sar’s right—Onana’s not the only problem, our attack’s dire.”

But @RedDevilMark countered, “Schmeichel’s got a point—Onana’s cost us too many points.” United’s next test is Lyon’s Europa League return leg on Thursday, where Onana’s expected to reclaim his spot.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe eyeing a summer rebuild—Højlund’s £52m exit looms, per TMW—Amorim faces a defining call: stick with Onana or pull the trigger on a new No. 1.