Rene Meulensteen knows it is almost impossible to do but he believes a mass clearout is needed if Ruben Amorim is to turn things around at Old Trafford
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Maguire and Onana have been named as symbols of Man Utd's plight
Maguire and Onana have been named as symbols of Man Utd's plight
(Image: Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim has been told he must replace Andre Onana if Manchester United are to become a Premier League force once more. Onana has made regular high-profile mistakes after arriving at Old Trafford in an expensive move from Ajax two years ago.
And now, former United coach Rene Meulensteen believes shipping out Onana will be key to a United revival under Amorim, declaring: “It’s vital they look to replace Onana. If you look at Man United's history, they started building a successful team at Old Trafford through the goalkeeper, with Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar, and David De Gea.
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"They must bring confidence to the defence as that galvanises the whole back line. I understood why [Erik] ten Hag brought him in, because he worked with him at Ajax. But it’s a different league.
"He didn’t get exposed to too many dangers with what he experienced in Holland or Italy, as he does in the Premier League. There are some major frailties and plenty of mistakes.
"If there is a better goalkeeper available, they should take him. It is not only the quality, they need a strong personality. Having a really good goalkeeper lays the foundations and is massively important.”
Harry Maguire of Manchester United in action during the match between Manchester United and ASEAN All Stars at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on May 28, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Harry Maguire was one of the few Manchester United players to be spared serious criticism last season
(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Meulensteen was a first-team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson for the final five years of the Scot’s Old Trafford reign, playing a part in three Premier League title wins. But Meulensteen, speaking exclusively to Tipman Tips, clearly believes United will not be winning any Premier League crowns soon, especially with the defensive options Amorim currently has at his disposal.
And the 61-year-old Dutchman says Harry Maguire is a symptom of United's deep-seated problems. He explained: “Harry Maguire is an interesting one. He’s received praise but it’s more to do with others being bad.
"To be fairly honest, Harry is not up to the standard of the quality and the calibre that United needs and plenty of examples have shown that. I’m not saying he's a bad player but he lacks certain aspects of his game defensively that don't meet the standards of Man United.”
Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United reacts during the UEFA Europa League Final 2025
Ruben Amorim found it a struggle to make a positive impact in his first season at Old Trafford
(Image: 2025 UEFA)
While Meulensteen acknowledges that it would be hard to make wholesale changes, he says major upheaval would be ideal, explaining: "They need a clear-out in defence because they’re very vulnerable in that position. There are six to seven centre backs, and most of them are not good enough.
"There are question marks around all of them. But because the players are on contracts, you can't just offload them ... it will be a complete financial disaster.
“The issue is, you cannot just suddenly say to 16 players … ‘see you later, off you go’. Who are you going to replace them with? You can get stuck, and that is my biggest worry.”
Marcus Rashford in an Aston Villa shirt
Marcus Rashford went on loan to Aston Villa after falling out with Ruben Amorim
(Image: Getty Images)
But Meulensteen would like to see Marcus Rashford have an unlikely second chance under Amorim, saying: “I question the fact as to why things broke down so quickly between them. You talk about a boy who bleeds Man United. If there is interest from clubs in Marcus, will he want to leave regardless of whether United want him? It's going to be interesting from his side.
“Marcus Rashford is a good and valuable player when in a good head space. He's probably one of the best left wingers in the world - and they can’t get someone better.”
Rene Meulensteen was speaking exclusively to Tipman Tips - https://www.tipmantips.com/football-betting-tips/
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