Why Ruben Amorim personally wanted Andre Onana removed from the goalkeeping situation at Manchester United has been revealed and the manager’s reasoning makes perfect sense.
Man Utd signed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp to add to an already crowded goalkeeper corps. Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton were already in situ, with new boy Lammens the youngest of the quartet at 23.
The goalkeeping position has been a sore spot for Man Utd ever since David De Gea was allowed to leave, with Onana doing little to suggest he warranted further opportunities.
And with Lammens signed and expected to take the starting spot, Man Utd have agreed to send Onana on loan to Trabzonspor. The Turkish window doesn’t close until September 12.
The full details in that deal – including how and why Onana has hit the jackpot – can be found here.
The Athletic recently revealed Amorim had soured on Onana over the summer. The stopper’s dedication in the off-season was called into question when Onana suffered a hamstring injury on day one of pre-season training.
Furthermore, Onana reportedly arrived back at Carrington expecting to receive a pay rise after his wages – like most of United’s players – were cut by 25 percent after United failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Now, a fresh update from transfer guru Romano has shed further light on why Onana simply had to leave Man Utd.
The journalist revealed Amorim does not want to place unnecessary pressure on Lammens by having a high profile player like Onana on the bench.
Furthermore, as is often the case with Man Utd, the story every time Lammens makes a mistake would turn to when will Onana be recalled? By removing Onana from the picture, Amorim has averted what would otherwise by an inevitable slew of stories in the news.
“[Loaning out Onana] is a decision made by the board, by the management, but especially by Ruben Amorim. Amorim wanted to clarify the goalkeeper situation,” said Romano on his YouTube channel.
“Amorim, from what I understand, also thought internally that to have four goalkeepers and a keeper like Onana staying on the bench, being a case (news topic) every single time he’s on the bench… you can imagine that for a manager it’s a problem.
“Every time Onana on the bench, Onana on the bench, Onana is not starting, Onana is on the bench… maybe it could also be a source of pressure for Lammens.
“So everyone at Man Utd agreed on the possibility to send Onana on loan, giving him the chance to start on a regular basis and find his confidence and form again. This decision was approved also by Amorim.”
Romano also added to the almost unanimous suggestions that Lammens will immediately slot in as Man Utd’s starter between the sticks.
“[Onana leaving] means that Senne Lammens will immediately have a big opportunity to compete for the first goalkeeper spot and probably to start as the first goalkeeper of Man Utd,” stated Romano.
Why Ruben Amorim is bang on
An inevitable consequence of being the biggest club in England and arguably the biggest club in world football is Man Utd news stories take on a life of their own.
What would often go unreported at smaller clubs generates extensive coverage at Old Trafford. The pressure is always on and as Gary Neville has repeatedly declared, there is no more scrutinised position in English football than Man Utd’s goalkeeper.
At 23, Lammens is not a young player per se, though he does lack experience. He has just one season of top flight Belgian football under his belt and whether he can handle the pressure of being Man Utd’s No 1 has already been discussed at length in the media.
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Amorim is right to do all he can to ensure Lammens can settle quickly and make a fast start to life at Old Trafford.
The list of stars who’ve wilted upon arriving at Old Trafford in recent years is a lengthy one. And if there’s one position on the pitch where mistakes are fatal, it’s goalkeeper.
Man Utd have no European football this term and after exiting the League Cup in Round Two, they can knuckle down and focus on their Premier League form.
The absence of European football and early exit from the League Cup means Man Utd have far fewer opportunities to rotate.
As such, if Onana were to stay and Lammens is named the starter, Onana would remain rooted to the bench unless injury struck.
And in a season where the behemoth that is Man Utd can go under the radar while their rivals play in Europe, there is scope for the Red Devils to shoot for fifth position on the home front.
As it was last season, fifth position may well be good enough to secure UCL qualification once again if English sides go well in Europe.
For United to have a realistic chance of snagging fifth, their players must get to grips with Amorim’s demands and all at Old Trafford must shut out the noise.
Removing distractions like Onana from the picture is one way Man Utd can ensure the focus stays on what’s happening on the pitch, not off it.
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