Talent and past success isn’t always enough
The Manchester Derby used to be a fixture Reds could look forward to. Yes, there were the odd occasions that City would find a way to win, but they were so rare fans of that club would have t-shirts made emblazoned with the score line or tattoo themselves with the result.
Nowadays it’s different; the Manchester Derby is viewed like a trip to the dentist or a court summons, such is the nature of far too many awful results us Reds have had to endure, not least at Old Trafford.
Last season aside, many of the recent derby games at the Theatre of Dreams have been the stuff of nightmares often ending with the team now facing 115 charges celebrating like they’d just been given a ‘not guilty’ verdict.
Jose and Ole both struggled against City, to the point where the biggest source of pride United fans could take from many of those games was the fact the scores in the defeats had been ‘respectable’ – if there even is such a thing.
One such game was the 2-1 loss way back in November 2016; when Manchester’s two new managers, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, brought their rivalry to England for the first-ever match between the two on these shores.
Whilst the game itself was disappointing, least of all because we allowed the visitors to leave Old Trafford with three points, the bigger disappointment was the fact that the game had been there for the taking, were it not for some abysmal officiating.
Guardiola had made the seismic decision to replace Joe Hart with someone more suited to his style of play in Claudio Bravo. It was a big call, as City fans loved their number one who’d been a huge part of their greatest-ever era.
Pep knew best though; he’d won the lot with Barca and Bravo had been his keeper, so who were mere mortals who’d never even been to a Champions League final, let alone won one to argue with him?
Watching Bravo panic his way through that derby game though, bringing down Wayne Rooney late on in what should’ve been a red card and a penalty, it was obvious the Chilean stopper was going to take some acclimatising to the Premier League – the surprising thing was he never actually did.
Within a year, Bravo had been replaced by his fellow South American Ederson, as Guardiola quicky realised what’s good enough for an all-conquering Barca side, isn’t for a Premier League team still finding its feet under a new manager – Victor Valdes anyone?
It’s with Bravo’s ineptitude in mind, we’re reminded that being a talented ‘keeper isn’t always enough, and that begs the question: How long can the manager afford to be patient with Andre Onana?
The hardest job in English football
“Being Manchester United goalkeeper is the hardest position in English football. It brings the most scrutiny.”
Gary Neville [The Overlap]
Right now, the manager and most fans seem to be behind the Cameroonian ‘keeper, but that faith cannot last forever, nor should it.
Onana isn’t a misfiring striker whose profligacy can be masked by teammates weighing in with goals, nor is he a midfielder who can be subbed on the hour mark when it’s obvious he’s running out of steam.
Onana is the number one at one of the biggest clubs on the planet. If he has a stinker, his team concede goals, it can and has proven costly. There’s already the very real possibility that the man who, more than anyone, helped Inter reach their first Champions League final in over a decade, could be responsible for the Reds going out at the first hurdle in the same competition just six months later.
If Erik ten Hag had Sir Alex Ferguson levels of job security, then he could feasibly stick with his new signing for however long it takes for Onana to finally (hopefully) reach his Inter levels, but Ten Hag is more Fergie in 89 than 99; he’s under pressure himself and cannot afford many more missteps.
We’ve seen in the past how goalkeepers have struggled at United, for every Peter Schmeichel there’s a Mark Bosnich, for every Edwin van der Sar a Massimo Taibi. It’s not a given that, just because you’ve been successful in your previous club, you’ll be so at Old Trafford.
Fabien Barthez was one of the best goalkeepers on the planet before he arrived at Old Trafford, a World Cup winning superstar any club would be happy to call their number one. Yet despite collecting a title, his time at United was erratic at best and at worst, often calamitous.
Onana – stick or twist?
Ten Hag isn’t afforded the luxury of time. He must produce this season and his keeper is obviously integral to that. If Onana’s struggles continue the manager may just have to turn to Altay Bayındır.
Giving Onana ‘a break’ could work in two ways – it could give the Cameroon international some much needed time out of the intense glare of the Old Trafford spotlight and allow him to regain his mojo, or it could destroy his already frayed confidence.
Early in his United career, David de Gea was dropped for Anders Lindegaard and came back stronger to help the Reds lift our last title, dropping a ‘keeper doesn’t mean he’s done, but it will have the air of a ‘sink or swim’ moment.
Whether Ten Hag decides to stick or twist with Onana remains to be seen, for the time being the manager is obviously backing his former Ajax man, but how long can that faith remain?
It’s far too soon to write off a player who’s played fewer games for United than James Wilson and it’s only right the manager should stand by his ‘keeper, especially with the media vultures circling, encouraged by anyone with a microphone and an axe to grind for the club that ruined their childhoods. Ten Hag’s backing shouldn’t be unconditional though nor should it be infinite.
Successful managers must make tough decisions before it’s too late. Sir Alex Ferguson showed ruthlessness when dropping Jim Leighton for the FA Cup final replay, while Guardiola eventually saw the error of his ways with Claudio Bravo.
Bravo was lucky to escape his marching orders that fateful day at Old Trafford. Unless he can turn it around sooner rather than later, Onana may not be quite so fortunate.