Erik ten Hag urges Andre Onana to ‘step up’ at Manchester United
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been urged to ‘step up’ by manager Erik ten Hag after a shaky start to life at Old Trafford.
Onana joined United in the summer in a £47.2 million deal from Inter Milan, replacing David de Gea as the club’s No.1 goalkeeper. Despite receiving praise for his distribution, Onana has come under fire after mistakes against Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and Brentford.
Former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel warned before the international break that Onana will start losing the trust of his teammates if his performances do not improve. And Ten Hag is adamant that Onana will start to show more consistency.
Ten Hag: Onana Needs an Integration Period
‘We know and he knows he will do much better,’ Ten Hag said. ‘Every player who comes into the Premier League needs an integration period but he has to step up. However, also big United keepers like Peter Schmeichel and David De Gea, also they started not too good. For Andre, it is good to know, from that little bit of history, but also we live now and we live in the future. He has to make his future by making better performances.’
Ten Hag went on to point out that Onana has had success in the past at Barcelona and Ajax, where he reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and the final last season with Inter. ‘He is a great player and I am sure he will give us performances. I am sure we will have a lot of joy from him.’
Onana’s Future at Manchester United
It remains to be seen whether Onana can turn his fortunes around at Manchester United and become a reliable presence between the sticks. He has already shown glimpses of his quality, but he needs to be more consistent if he is to win over his teammates and the United faithful.
For now, Ten Hag is confident that Onana can make the necessary improvements and prove himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. With the right attitude and determination, there is no reason why Onana cannot become a success at Old Trafford.