IT was telling that not a single team-mate on the pitch at the final whistle went to console Andre Onana in Istanbul.
Perhaps their patience had finally snapped with Manchester United’s replacement for last season’s Golden Glove winner, David de Gea.
GettyAndre Onana was only consoled by one Man United player on the pitch after the draw against Galatasaray[/caption]
Back-up stopper Altay Bayndr checked on OnanaGetty
ReutersFernando Muslera did also check on the Cameroonian[/caption]
The list of clangers Onana has dropped is growing — against Wolves, Arsenal and Brentford in the Premier League, against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray — more than once — in the Champions League.
And the £47.2million due to Inter Milan for the 27-year-old Cameroon keeper is beginning to look very costly.
Onana is one of the main reasons the Red Devils will most likely not be in the knockout stages of Europe’s elite club competition after letting in two weak free-kicks in Wednesday’s 3-3 draw against Galatasaray.
That was on top of mistakes in September’s 4-3 defeat in Munich and the following month’s 3-2 loss to the Turkish side at Old Trafford.
So when the final whistle went in Istanbul two days ago, it was only Onana’s back-up Altay Bayindir who went to see him from the United squad.
Well, Turk Bayindir and the architect of Onana’s downfall Hakim Ziyech — whose pair of set-pieces evaded the African — plus Galatasaray keeper Fernando Muslera.
A Turkish Lira for De Gea’s thoughts as he still sits waiting for a new club after being harshly let go by Erik ten Hag at the end of last season.
It was a big decision to make — and one that is on the manager and not turning out well.
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Bayindir and third-choice shot-stopper Tom Heaton must be wondering what Onana has to do for them to get a sniff.
The argument was that Ten Hag needed someone like Onana for his superior distribution skills.
But those are hardly in evidence anyway as panic ensues when he tries to pass out from the back.
When it comes to stopping shots, he is not in the same league as Spaniard De Gea, whose reactions were still razor sharp, even if errors had started to creep into his game.
Lee Sharpe, who won three Premier League titles with the Red Devils in the 1990s, summed up what many United fans high up in the RAMS Park were thinking as Onana’s horror show unfolded.
Speaking to 888sport, former winger Sharpe said: “It was a bit weird the way they shuffled De Gea out of the door.
“I know he made a couple of high-profile mistakes last season but he was so consistent in the time that he was there.
“He would keep United in games and win them matches by himself, so it was a little bit disappointing the way they let him go — it’s certainly looking like an error now.
“It’s hard as well when you’re an outfield player and you’re running your socks off trying to get a result and the goalkeeper is throwing away goals every now and again.
“It makes it very frustrating and very difficult. He’s a big character, so let’s hope the mistakes calm down and he learns from this and uses it as experience.”
You have to wonder how on earth Inter Milan got all the way to last season’s Champions League final against Manchester City with Onana between the posts.
He has now conceded three or more goals EIGHT times this season.
In his defence, though, he has seven clean sheets with three on the bounce in the last three league games.
But the errors on Wednesday were all the more disappointing as United had played really well in gaining an early 2-0 lead and re-establishing a two-goal cushion at 3-1.
Captain Bruno Fernandes scored a screamer for their second and was furious that they failed to turn their advantage into victory.
The Portuguese midfielder, 29, said: “We created a lot of opportunities and scored too little.
EPAOnana was slammed for his performance against Galatasaray[/caption]
GettyAltay Bayindir must be wondering why he has not had a chance[/caption]
“We have to be more clinical. It’s not acceptable to finish with a negative result for us after so many great chances to score. We are making too many mistakes in this Champions League and it’s self-inflicted.
“We are probably one of the teams that concede the most, it’s been too many.
“We have to learn to control the games better. If we don’t concede, there’s a good chance to get good results as we are a team with good offensive qualities.”
Fernandes added: “Onana knows how to manage these moments, it has happened in the past. He knows he needs to do better as every one of us needed to do better for us to leave with a good result.
“It’s not only because of him that bad result but everyone should be accountable. I take my responsibility, we have to get better.”
United lie bottom of Group A on four points and now need to beat Bayern in their final game and hope Galatasaray and Copenhagen draw in order to make the knockout stages.
If they don’t, they have really thrown this away.
Or thrown it in, in Onana’s case.
GettyBruno Fernandes has urged Onana to ‘do better’[/caption]
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