On his Old Trafford debut, Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was beaten from 40 yards in a pre-season clash against Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens.
With his first Old Trafford appearance against Lens, Andre Onana is chipped from the centre circle.
The 27-year-old former Cameroon international, who last month transferred from Inter Milan to the Premier League side for a reputed £47.2 million, made an impression for extended stretches during United’s preseason tour of America.
But he was taken off guard when the French team unexpectedly seized a 1-0 lead through Florian Sotoca in the encounter on Saturday’s 23rd minute.
As seen in the video below, United full-back Diogo Dalot made a careless pass that allowed former Montpellier striker Sotoca to gain control and score with a first-time shot.
Sotoca deserves praise for his courageous goal from distance that put his team in front, although others have questioned Onana’s positioning.
With his first Old Trafford appearance against Lens, Andre Onana is chipped from the centre circle.
Andre Onana 💀 pic.twitter.com/r5JSKa9ejN
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 5, 2023
This isn’t Onana’s fault really, he’s positioned where he should be for where Utd had the ball…
But remembering the slander Ramsdale got for a similar goal against Sporting, it’ll be amusing to watch certain people change their tune how it’s their GK
— Rory Talks Football (@Rory_Talks_Ball) August 5, 2023
Here are some reactions to the goal on social media.
“This isn’t really Onana’s fault, he’s positioned where he should be for where Utd had the ball,” a supporter commented. It’ll be hilarious to see some folks change their tune about how it’s their GK, though, in light of the criticism Ramsdale received for a goal like this vs Sporting.
Onana will be held accountable for that goal, another wrote. Dalot owns the pass. A third person added: “People are going to blame Onana for that like he should expect his defence to misplace a 3yd pass,” indicating that any sweeper goalie is in significant danger of losing the game in that situation.
A fourth said: “United fans were gassing up Onana for half the season only for him to get chipped from the halfway line on his Old Trafford debut I’m crying.”
A fifth added: “This goal gives Onana a gentle warning for his positioning.”
David De Gea’s failure to reach a new contract agreement this summer prompted Manchester United to act quickly to replace the Spaniard.
The 32-year-old keeper, who spent 12 years at Old Trafford and set a record by keeping 190 clean sheets in 545 games, said after leaving that it was “the right time to undertake a new challenge.”
However, a lot of people were still dissatisfied with how his exit was handled, notably Wrexham keeper Ben Foster, who also warned Andre Onana about being “caught out.”
“Onana is a very confident player, I’ve seen him doing Cruyff turns and this kind of stuff,” he said to The United Stand. But it just needs one or two for him to be exposed.
“Then it makes you start thinking maybe you shouldn’t do that. Hopefully he hits the ground running but it’s not as easy as that sometimes
Foster did compliment Onana’s technical skills, but he expressed concern about the United backline’s ability to handle such a demanding playing style.
“He’s obviously a very, very modern keeper, and that’s what it is nowadays,” he continued. “Manchester United needed to sign Onana if they wanted to go better and advance. It’s just as easy as that and that is how it works.
“Whether or not the players around him are prepared for it and can handle him coming up, acting like a real sweeper-keeper, and playing continuously from the back.
“I’ve seen the way he plays and he’s super high up, comfortably comes running out with the ball. That remains to be seen [if his team-mates are ready for that]. It’ll be an interesting one but I do think it’s the right move, probably.”
