Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe believes there are “other areas” of the pitch the club must focus on this summer ahead of a new goalkeeper, despite widespread frustration from the fanbase with Andre Onana.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person, courtesy of Coin Poker, Sharpe acknowledged Onana has demonstrated “poor decision-making” this season but stresses there are “other areas that are more important than the goalkeeper.”
The Cameroonian international began the year in fantastic form under Erik ten Hag, appearing to have overcome the error-prone streak which characterised his debut campaign at Old Trafford after his £47.2 million switch from Inter Milan in 2023.
But after the Dutch manager’s dismissal in October following a 2-0 defeat to West Ham, with Ruben Amorim arriving from Sporting CP to replace him, Onana’s performances have reverted to the horrors of last year.
Mistakes in the Premier League have been matched by catastrophic errors in Europe as Onana conspired to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory against Olympique Lyonnais in the Europa League quarter-final first leg with two howlers to surrender United’s lead.
This decline by the Cameroonian has been exacerbated by the fact that his back-up – Altay Bayindir – has been even shakier in goal when selected by Amorim in place of him.
There is an acute sense of panic that spreads like a disease throughout a defence when the unit cannot trust the man behind them. The antidote is isolation; removal from the first-team squad in place of a more trustworthy option.
Except Bayindir is even more infective than Onana, leaving Amorim between a sickly rock and a contagious hard place when picking his side every week.
Despite this obvious concern, a new goalkeeper is not believed to be a priority in the summer. Amorim is reported to have requested a new shot stopper but may have to settle for a new number two, rather than number one, with Bayindir expected to leave.
The club will instead focus the bulk of its budget on reinforcements further forward – an approach Sharpe believes is the right one because improvements outfield can engender improvements in goal.
“There are other areas that are more important than the goalkeeper. If you sort the team out, the goalkeeper will face less chances, so less chances to make mistakes,” the three-time Premier League winner asserts.
Sources at Old Trafford reveal there is hope amongst the club’s executive branch that Onana can recapture his form from the start of the season in a more settled side. Sharpe agrees with this assessment of scope for “improvement” while praising the 29-year-old’s ability in possession.
“Onana is really good with the ball on the floor. His decision-making has been poor at times, but that will improve with age and experience, and with a bit of coaching from the manager. So I think he will improve.”
However, Sharpe does not believe Onana will not have a long-term future at Old Trafford if the Red Devils are to begin to challenge for major honours.
The 53-year-old predicts that the goalkeeper will “not be there in two years, when United are hopefully challenging for the title and in the Champions League, but for now I think there are more important positions to be filled.”
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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