Onana vows Man Utd will learn from mistakes
Andre Onana vowed Manchester United will learn from their mistakes ahead of facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final after their late collapse in the semi-final against Coventry almost led to an embarrassing defeat.
United surrendered a 3-0 lead at Wembley and were saved from a humiliating exit in extra time only by a VAR intervention, ruling out for offside what would have been a last-gasp winner for the Sky Blues. They survived to edge through on penalties and set up a re-match of last year's final against City on May 25, the first time since 1885 that the same two clubs have contested the final in consecutive seasons.
But after they were ripped into in the closing stages by a Coventry team eighth in the Championship, United goalkeeper Onana indicated radical improvement will be needed if the Red Devils are to avenge the 2-1 loss they suffered against Pep Guardiola's men last season.
"It's mixed feelings," said the 28-year-old. "Of course the most important thing is the victory, but the way we won, it's a difficult situation. We had the game under control, then some individual mistakes, gave some goals away. But we will learn from our mistakes."
The manner in which United allowed Coventry back into the game has increased the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag. Should they fail to overcome City in the cup final, they face the prospect of missing out on European qualification for just the second time in the Premier League era.
"If you put everything on the table, we can speak about everything: about injuries, bad luck," said Onana. "We missed a lot of important players; it's difficult for such a big club to play without such big players.
"I don't pay attention about how many shots we have conceded, because at the end of the day it's about winning. We won, so we have to look forward.
"It's a big responsibility, and it starts with myself. We are here to take the bullet. When things are not going good, [it is important] not to point fingers.
"Everything was under control and we gave goals away, so it's more [our responsibility] than other people."
Asked what United needed to improve in order to overcome City in the final, he said: "Having more possession, being more dominant on the ball.
"We play against a very good team who are very good on the ball. We're going to make them run."
At the same time that ten Hag’s position appears precarious, former Old Trafford boss Jose Mourinho has claimed his tenure may have been more successful had he been afforded the same level of support as the Dutchman.
“There are a couple of players still there I didn’t want five or six years ago,” Mourinho said. “I think they represent a little bit what I consider not the best professional profile to a club of a certain dimension.
“But I did my job there. Time always tells the truth. I would love Manchester United to succeed.”