Former Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul has given his verdict on why Andre Onana flopped at Manchester United.
Andre Onana joined Manchester United from Inter Milan in 2023, when he was regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.
Erik ten Hag had worked with Onana at Ajax and decided he was the man to replace David de Gea, who departed at the end of the 2022/23 campaign following 12 years at Old Trafford.
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Onana’s two years as first-choice goalkeeper were a tumultuous period for United. The Cameroon international arrived with high expectations, renowned for his ability to play out from the back, but too many high-profile errors led to Ruben Amorim having a rethink about his options in the summer.
United signed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, and Onana joined Trabzonspor on loan for the entire season.
Andre Onana playing for Trabzonspor against Alanyaspor
Photo by Hakan Burak Altunoz/Anadolu via Getty Images
Tim Krul explains why Andre Onana flopped at Man Utd
Onana was expected to thrive at Trabzonspor after leaving United. It was a move that meant the stopper would be able to spend the year playing football under far less pressure.
Now, it’s a common belief that Lammens is a better fit for United.
Ruben Amorim is excited about Senne Lammens
He can kick long balls with a lot of quality with both feet, and that is a detail that can change the way we play the game.
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Having spent many years playing in the Netherlands and the Premier League, retired goalkeeper Tim Krul has given his verdict on why Onana failed to succeed at United.
“Ultimately, I was quite lucky because I came from the Dutch academy,” Krul told The Independent.
“So, every time I went with Holland, I had to be more possession-based, but when I came back to Newcastle United, I had Andy Carroll to aim at. I had to lump it 60 yards as a goal-kick, because that’s what Alan Pardew demanded!
“But going back to the point, it has been a circle. [Manchester] United tried it the Ajax way. Andre Onana was amazing at Ajax because you had 11 players who knew the system. You always had three or four options. But, with all due respect, in England, maybe one. If that was blocked off, you were in trouble.”
Krul retired in September at the age of 37. It remains to be seen where his post-playing career will take him after registering for a Master’s on the business side of sport, but his insight as a former player will undoubtedly prove beneficial to many clubs.
He suggests that the bigger problem may have been the players around Onana, who weren’t as comfortable in a system that pushed to play out from the back – but that doesn’t fully excuse many of the mistakes he committed at United.
Interestingly, Krul was linked with a move to United during his time at Newcastle during Louis van Gaal’s time as United manager.
Tim Krul record against Man Utd
Krul played against United 13 times throughout his career, but only won two of those matches during his time at Newcastle.
He also played against United during his spells at Norwich City, Brighton and Luton Town.
The Dutch stopper kept a clean sheet on four occasions but conceded a total of 21 goals against the Red Devils.
Krul faced United for the last time in 2022, losing 3-2 after a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick.