Amorim benches Onana, considers Bayındır for Manchester United clash against Newcastle

Rúben Amorim (40), the coach, has finally lost patience. 'Butterfingers' André Onana (29, Manchester United) is at risk of being benched.

The British 'Telegraph' reported on the 12th (Korean time) that "Onana may be excluded from the starting lineup for Manchester United due to recent mistakes. Coach Amorim is considering utilizing backup goalkeeper Altai Bayındır instead of Onana."

Manchester United will face Newcastle United at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England, on the 14th at 12:30 a.m. in the 32nd round of the Premier League (PL) 2024-2025 season.

Coach Amorim is expected to make the decision to entrust the goal to Bayındır instead of Onana in this match. The Telegraph explained that "Amorim plans to implement various changes to the squad for the away match against Newcastle. Utilizing Bayındır instead of Onana is also under consideration."

The reason is Onana's repeated mistakes. He joined Manchester United from Serie A champions Inter Milan in July 2023. The transfer fee was a staggering €50 million (about 81 billion won). Therefore, coach Erik ten Hag had high expectations.

However, Onana became a different person as soon as he joined Manchester United. His trademark super saves based on quick reflexes remained, but he dropped his head due to fatal mistakes that directly led to goals. With shaky ball handling, he conceded goals and caused ridiculous major accidents during back build-ups.

Onana's problems have not been resolved this season either. He has found some stability compared to the early days of his Manchester United debut, but he still makes far too many mistakes. His inconsistency is so severe that he is not highly regarded. Onana's overall performance with Manchester United is 94 matches and 139 goals conceded.

Moreover, Manchester United is suffering from serious poor performance. Currently, Manchester United has only achieved 10 wins, 8 draws, and 13 losses in 31 Premier League matches, remaining in 13th place. They have long been eliminated from domestic cup competitions. Their last hope is the European Football Association (UEFA) Europa League (UEL) title, where they are in the quarterfinals.

However, even this could be in jeopardy due to Onana's mistakes. He guarded the Manchester United goal in the first leg of the UEL quarterfinal against Olympique Lyonnais on the 11th, but made disappointing mistakes during two goals conceded and could not secure the team's victory.

On that day, Onana failed to clear an opposing cross, leading to the first goal. Just before the end of the match, he clumsily attempted to catch the ball, dropping it and allowing the equalizer. Ultimately, Manchester United lost what seemed to be a victory, finishing in a 2-2 draw.

Once again, Onana's poor performance has become a topic of discussion. Troy Deeney, who previously played as a forward for Watford, noted that "both goals seemed amateurish," adding that "the goalkeeper has disappointed several times. This is not a sign of a good goalkeeper. Onana may now face even more competition for his position."

Earlier, Nemanja Matic, a former Manchester United player, harshly criticized Onana, calling him 'the worst goalkeeper in Manchester United history.' In response, Onana stated, "At least I have lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some people cannot say that." However, he dropped his head again in the match against Lyon, and fans sighed, agreeing that Matic was right.

The Telegraph reported that "Onana has made his 8th mistake since joining Manchester United in the match against Lyon. He failed to stop Thiago Almada's opening goal and was also the main culprit in conceding the equalizer by spilling a shot during 5 minutes of added time." Joshua Zirkzee claimed that it was unreasonable to single out Onana for blame but acknowledged that Onana is facing concerns about being excluded from the match against Newcastle.

Coach Amorim has also indicated changes. He stated, "We need to play with a competitive team that can secure a victory against Newcastle. Sometimes winning in a match is the best way to prepare for the next one. Of course, it may be cautious for some players, but we need to regain our competitiveness."

Former Manchester United figures seem to have lost their patience with Onana as well. Mike Phelan, who served as Manchester United's assistant coach, remarked, "This is the most important decision a manager has to make. Is there a backup goalkeeper capable of playing as the starting goalkeeper in Manchester United for the remainder of the season? We cannot continue to excuse such mistakes."

Legendary Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel also expressed, "There are too many problems for coach Amorim to solve. Pointing out one player is very uncomfortable, but it looks bad. I cannot feel stable when Onana is in goal. Even if we are ahead 2-1, it doesn’t feel like we are in front. There is always fear of conceding an equalizer to the opponent."

Meanwhile, Manchester United is also looking for a replacement for Onana. Zai Suzuki (Parma) has emerged as a strong candidate. The British 'Talk Sport' exclusively reported that "Manchester United has intensified its interest in goalkeeper Suzuki, who can compete with Onana. Following Onana's series of mistakes, Manchester United plans to acquire a new goalkeeper this summer. Parma has set Suzuki's price at £40 million (approximately 74.9 billion won)."

The media added, "Onana may now face more competition for his position. Rúben Amorim, the Manchester United coach, has Altai Bayındır and Tom Heaton as options to replace Onana. However, Manchester United is eager to finally acquire Suzuki, whom they have pursued for two years."

Born in 2002, Suzuki is a goalkeeper for the Japanese national team. He is of mixed heritage, having a Ghanaian-American father and a Japanese mother, standing at a tall 190 cm. He developed in the Urawa Red youth team and made his European debut through a loan to Sint-Truiden in 2023 and is currently playing for Parma.

Suzuki was in hot transfer speculation with Manchester United in 2023. At the time, when Manchester United parted ways with David de Gea, there were reports that they were targeting him for the future. After going around, Manchester United is eyeing Suzuki again. He has been performing as the starting goalkeeper for Parma this season, recording 5 clean sheets in 30 Serie A matches. Additionally, he has not made a single mistake leading to a goal.

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