Ten Hag takes blame for Man U
IN an alternate universe Manchester United are heading into their final Champions’ League group game with qualification assured. That is a world in which Andre Onana is not their goalkeeper.
His mistakes - not for the first time in the competition - cost United victory against Galatasaray.
The blunder for Bayern Munich’s opener and the stray pass at Old Trafford which led to Casemiro’s sending off against Galatasaray could have been forgotten after he appeared to turn a corner.
But Onana’s failure to deal with two straightforward free-kicks on Wednesday night ensure the spotlight is firmly back on him.
It’s important to note his vital stoppage-time penalty save against FC Copenhagen and the quality he brings in possession for balance. It’s not been all bad for Onana at Old Trafford, but his lack of reliability is adding a sense of uncertainty to an already fragile side.
It is clear that Onana is better than his performances are showing. You only need to look back to last season’s Champions League run with Inter to see that. These mistakes do seem to be a running theme though.
Since 2018/19, he has made more errors leading to goals (7) than any other goalkeeper in the Champions League - comitting four more than anyone else.
Erik ten Hag refused to blame the man he signed over the summer, insisting he is responsible for his side’s latest capitulation, although the Dutchman must surely be considering the former Ajax goalkeeper’s position now.
When Onana is away for the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon, it will hand a chance to deputy Altay Bayindir, signed from Fenerbahce in the sumbrings mer. If he calm in between the sticks, it could give Ten Hag a big decision to make.
Champions League examinations exposing Man
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United have won six of their last eight in the Premier League and are just six points off top spot. In the Champions League they’ve won just one of five matches and are bottom of Group A, in need of something special on the final matchday to make the knockouts.
Erik ten Hag’s side may get away with underwhelming performances on occasion in England but they are seeing their errors punished in Europe.
If you go back through their run of six wins in eight Premier League games, the opponents they have faced are opponents they would be expected to beat. Burnley, Brentford, Sheffield United, Fulham, Luton, Everton. The fact they lost to Crystal Palace during that run is more significant than the streak.
Five of those six wins were also by one goal. The fine margins have fallen in United’s favour in the league but that hasn’t been the case in Group A, where Galatasaray were the latest to benefit from United’s mistakes. It’s startling that United have scored three times in Munich, Copenhagen and Istanbul and taken one point from those games. Ultimately, when United have had to go up a level this season they’ve been found out. That’s ominous, given they face Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa in the Premier League in December. Those fixtures could prove whether progress is being made, as Ten Hag suggests, or whether United’s Premier League form is papering over the cracks—