Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag remains confident that summer signing Andre Onana will showcase his undoubted talent for the club despite his slow start to the season.
Onana has often found himself under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons this term, making several high-profile mistakes that have cost his club valuable points.
Having arrived at Old Trafford on the back of a remarkable spell with Inter Milan, Onana has struggled to replicate his fine form at the Theatre of Dreams.
The Cameroon international will be keen to redeem himself when Man United travel to Bramall Lane to face newly promoted Sheffield United on Saturday evening.
“He knows [he’s not been good enough],” Ten Hag said in his pre-match press conference (via Ben Jacobs).
“We know he’ll do much better. With every player coming into the EPL, you need an integration period, but he has to step up.
“Big Man United keepers like Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea started slowly [as well].”
Onana has previously been slammed as not being good enough for Man United, and his statistics highlight him as one of the worst performers in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
Of goalkeepers to have played 500+ minutes of Premier League football, the outspoken 27-year-old goalkeeper ranks 17th for goals prevented (-1.32).
Only Brentford shot-stopper Mark Flekken boasts a more disappointing record with -3.23 goals prevented, and Onana will be keen to improve that statistic against United.
The former Ajax man has struggled with his handling along with his ball-kicking skills, which was widely regarded as one of the best in the world during his time at Ajax and Inter.
He has often looked nervy and vulnerable as Man United’s last line of defence, but the weekend trip to the relegation contenders could offer Onana a platform to rebuild his waning confidence.
Man United travel to Bramall Lane sitting in mid-table after taking just 12 points from eight games, but a win could spark a significant improvement in their league ranking.
