Manchester United were stunned by FC Copenhagen in a 4-3 loss on Wednesday night.

This loss sees Man United slump to last place in their Champions League group, reducing their chance of progressing to the round of 16 with just two group matches left to play.

While conceding four goals is not something he would want to get accustomed to, goalkeeper Andre Onana continued to show signs of improvement with a confident and resolute performance.

During the opening 42 minutes, United played some impressive football, scoring two goals and constantly bombarding Copenhagen’s penalty area.

Although Copenhagen launched some sporadic counter-attacks, Onana proved solid, saving a close-range strike by Rasmus Falk and racing off his line to claim a threatening cross from Mohammed Elyounoussi.

United’s game was fundamentally changed for the worse when Marcus Rashford was sent off three minutes before half-time.

At first, United looked confident even with 10 men, however, the cracks in their defence soon started to emerge.

Onana did well to race out toward the halfway line and clear a threatening cross to Elyounoussi, showing the legwork and confidence outside of the box that made him such an appealing transfer this past summer.

Still, Copenhagen would soon find the back of the net, capitalising on their man advantage.

On the stroke of half time, Copenhagen received a penalty that the United shot-stopper could do little about, with the home team levelling the score going into the break.

In the second half, Onana saved a surprise shot from distance by Denis Vavro moments before blocking a glancing header.

Unfortunately, it would be his defenders that would let him down, with Diogo Dalot switching off to allow Copenhagen through to score a third while substitute Roony Bardghji pounced on a loose ball to score the home side’s winner.

Throughout the match, Onana made four saves in total along with a punch and one high claim.

The Cameroonian continued to show strong legwork, completing 40 of his 48 attempted passes for an 83% passing accuracy.

Onana’s long balls also proved effective, with the 27 year old completing 11 of 19 attempts.

Notably, the goalkeeper got 60 touches on the ball, impressively outnumbering the majority of the outfielder players on both teams.

While it may have been a scoreline to forget, Onana showed further signs of improvement as he continues to ease into his role as United’s first-choice keeper.

Should his performances remain consistent, Onana should prove to be the goalkeeper that United requires.

Still, a lot depends on his defenders, who continued to show signs of vulnerability once things weren’t going United’s way.

(Stats via Sofascore)

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Speaking to the club’s in-house social media team, Onana revealed how he would always “be thankful” to Van der Sar for his advice and guidance during the pair’s shared time at Ajax.

Onana was the goalkeeper in Amsterdam during the same period Van der Sar was the club’s Chief Executive (2015-2022), before the former’s switch to Milan last summer, and then Manchester this year.

The Cameroonian international stated:

“[Van der Sar] had a great impact. I was with him in Ajax back in the days. We had a great, great time. We were training sometimes together and he advised me a lot. He was happy when I joined Manchester United.”

“He advised me a lot during the game, after the game, especially if I was making mistakes! He was coming through all the way to the dressing room or to the training session to speak with me and he helped me to build that personality, you know?” 

Onana possesses the quintessential skillset of a ‘modern’ goalkeeper; a shotstopper who is as comfortable with the ball at his feet, as in his hands, while being proactive and capable of dominating their box.

When Van der Sar was in his prime, approaching two decades ago, the demands on a goalkeeper were radically different to the ones placed on them today.

Onana contends:

“To be honest, now football is so different. You know, I think the position has changed in the last 20 years. Now the goalkeeper is like [having] another player more, you know? And when you look at the way most of the teams want to play, now they use the goalkeeper as a plus one. “

I consider myself as a modern goalkeeper, so I’m not afraid to make mistakes. I’m not afraid to take risks and I would take risks because the way I play is what brought me to Manchester United, one of the best clubs in the world, and I will not drop. I will never drop. I will only go forward. I can make mistakes and mistakes are a part of life.”

This confidence will be vital to Onana establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the league and trying to emulate the level of performance his tutor, Van der Sar, was able to reach in a United shirt.

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Andre Onana’s start to life as a Red Devil has been eventful to say the least. The Cameroonian keeper has played the role of villian and hero numerous times already this season and most haven’t even got the Christmas decorations out yet.

The summer transfer window saw the sudden departure of legendary goalkeeper David De Gea when a new contract was seemingly agreed then apparently snatched away from under his nose before the start of July.

The Spaniard was a popular figure amongst fans although many had lost patience with him after a few high-profile major errors, including Manchester City’s winning goal in the FA Cup final in June.

Much excitement was generated when rumours began to swirl around the Spaniard’s possible successor as United’s number one. When the news emerged that manager Erik ten Hag had settled on his former keeper at Ajax, Andre Onana, that positive feeling went into overdrive.

De Gea was generally always accepted as an elite shot-stopper, or at least for most of his career at the club. However, his ball playing skills, so often sought after in the modern game, were seen as sorely lacking.

This is where Onana was supposed to step in and save the day as one of the game’s best ball-playing keepers. Portugal manager, Roberto Martinez, mused that the Cameroonian was “less a sweeper-keeper than a holding midfielder at times” during Inter Milan’s run to the Champions League final in 2023.

The keeper’s evident inner confidence and apparent dig at Erling Haaland already quickly endeared him to Man United fans. When asked if he was scared of facing the Norwegian in the Champions Legaue final, Onana exclaimed that no man should be afraid of another man and the video quickly went viral on social media.

So United had found their confident, modern, ball-playing keeper. Unfortunately, life does not always go to plan. It is not particularly clear to many Red Devils supporters if the club play out from the back better than they did when De Gea kept guard of the goal. Onana is clearly more comfortable on the ball and has played a few beautiful passes already, like the accurate long range missile to Alejandro Garnacho against Spurs. It is not his fault his teammates have been far from prolific in front of goal. Although, it is fair to say that Onana’s comfort on the ball has not translated to the team creating or scoring more goals.

This hasn’t really been the African keeper’s primary issue though. He has admitted that he has been much poorer than expected. The goalkeeper has already made a string of poor decisions and errors resulting in goals, most famously against Bayern Munich in the team’s opening Champions League group game defeat. Credit where credit’s due, the Cameroonian came out and explained to the press that the loss was on him and confessed that he needed to do better.

Onana’s league debut was hardly less controversial. He introduced himself to the Premier League by taking out Wolves striker, Sasa Kalajdzic, which many deemed should have been a penalty. The keeper went on to make crucial mistakes resulting in goals versus Nottingham Forest, Galatasaray and Brentford. This led to a barrage of criticism and many calling him a “downgrade” on De Gea. Naturally, the papers have been filled with stories about how the Red Devils are already out to replace the Cameroon international.

This is improbable though as Erik ten Hag is unlikely to bin off his former keeper so prematurely. Onana had successful trophy-laden stints at both Ajax and Inter Milan. The shotstopper was also recently ranked 23rd in the Ballon d’Or.

As mentioned before, Onana has also had his hero moment. The last-gasp penality save in the Champions League against Copenhagen proved to be match winning and could be pivotal in United’s qualification hopes. It was a heart-warming moment when the keeper was mobbed by his teammates in the backdrop of a thunderously loud Old Trafford. Many felt this was his arrival as a United player. The African born keeper has also kept three clean sheets in the league and made a string of good saves against Manchester City, Sheffield United and most recently at the weekend in a crucial win against Fulham.

Andre Onana has not had the start he would have wanted. He is brave and self-aware enough to admit it. Life as Manchester United’s goalkeeper is the hardest job in the sport according to ex-player turned Sky Sports pundit, Gary Neville. However, he clearly has the talent and an intriguing enough skill set to persevere with him and make the number one shirt is own.

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New Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is set to miss a chunk of games in the New Year, having decided to represent his country in the African Cup of Nations.

The Cameroonian was undecided on whether he was to resume his international career after retiring from international football last winter due to a fallout with coach, Rigobert Song.

Onana was sent home from the Qatar World Cup after the spat and it was enough for the ‘keeper to call time on playing for his country.

However, as reported by inews, the stopper has chosen to take part in the prestigious tournament and if called up, could miss up to seven United matches.

“At the moment he plans to play in every game he is called up for,” the inews source added.

Onana has featured for Cameroon since the World Cup, taking part in the decisive qualifying round that secured their place in the tournament.

The AFCON is set to start on January 13 for Onana and Cameroon which coincides with a crucial run of games for Erik ten Hag’s side.

Should the Indomitable Lions go all the way to the final, Onana could miss four Premier League matches, two FA Cup ties and a potential Carabao Cup semi-final.

Onana was believed to be more likely to stay in Manchester with reports suggesting he wanted to focus on getting back to his best at the club level after a rocky start to life at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old has made a few high-profile errors since signing for United but has recently looked more like himself with two fine performances against Copenhagen and Manchester City.

If Onana confirms his decision it would mean Altay Bayındır, United’s other summer goalkeeper signing, filling in for the current number one.

The Turk is yet to play a minute in United’s first team but could be set for a crucial run between the sticks in Onana’s absence.

Ten Hag could yet still persuade Onana to stay put but these reports seem as though the ‘keeper’s mind is made up.

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Manchester United have suffered early season struggles, with Erik ten Hag’s men losing half of their fixtures since the start of the campaign.

Blame has been laid at multiple doors in attempt to explain the poor form; from the defensive injury crisis to the misfiring forwards.

However, The Daily Mail may have unearthed another excuse for United’s shoddy performances – the kit.

Some United players are reportedly wearing the replica jerseys of this year’s collection after complaining the authentic player shirts are too tight.

Socks have also been raised an issue with the squad not wearing the official home socks since the second game of the season.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana has also raised complaints regarding his gear, with the Cameroonian finally switching to the replica top after the away win at Sheffield United.

Incidentally, Onana’s best moments in a United shirt have coincided with the change in outfit, having enjoyed excellent games against Copenhagen and Manchester City, respectively.

Adidas are currently looking into a solution and hope to have Ten Hag’s group feeling back to full comfort as soon as possible.

The story evokes memories of the infamous grey kit episode under Sir Alex Ferguson, with the players claiming they couldn’t see each other properly during an away defeat to Southampton.

Fergie’s men changed their strip at half time to a blue and white ensemble but unfortunately couldn’t turn the game around.

Ten Hag will be hoping for an upturn in fortunes of his stars before and after the bizarre issue is sorted, with United’s season hanging by a thread, even at this early stage.

United face a must-win next three fixtures with Newcastle visiting Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup this evening (Wednesday), before away trips to Fulham and Copenhagen are set to play a huge role in defining the team’s season.

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Then the Manchester Derby happened and the club got hit in the face with a reality check. City barely got out of second gear while dispatching United and that one bad result has turned the optics of the whole month.

Still, there are three players who come away this month with some credit to their names. Coincidentally, these were the players who were targeted the most for their bad form when the team was doing well.

Now with the team in a state of disarray, they have stepped up.

Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, and Scott McTominay are the three nominees for United’s player of the month. Here’s a look at who should be the winner-

Harry Maguire’s case

The former United captain capped off his club renaissance by scoring a crucial goal against Copenhagen to save United’s European campaign. He has been up to the task of replacing Lisandro Martinez, and surprisingly with Jonny Evans, formed a defence that was patched up but still came through in three wins.

The front-foot defending is back, he is winning his aerial duels, and even the progressive passes from the back are coming off.

However, the Manchester Derby was his first stern test this season in terms of opposition strength and he didn’t look completely convincing. There were a few scary moments and mix-ups he wouldn’t like to see back.

Therefore, while Maguire has been good recently, it’s more a reflection of how bad he had been prior to that, rather than him being world-class in isolation.

Scott McTominay’s case

It can be argued that without Scott McTominay, United would probably finish the month with zero wins, or one at most. Sat on the fringes of the team, nearly being sold to West Ham, he had a fight on his hands to save his United career.

And save it he did. Two late goals against Brentford saw the best of the Scottish player, with his instinctive finishing in the box saving United from another shock home loss. He followed it up by scoring against Sheffield United as well, in a nervy game again by the team as a whole.

There were no more goalscoring heroics but stationed as the most advanced midfielder, he was regularly getting on the end of chances.

That’s precisely the factor which works against him, however. If McTominay is not scoring goals and affecting the game directly, chances are he’s not doing much else.

It was painfully clear against Manchester City, where his lack of passing repertoire hurt United in possession. As a midfielder, his role is to be a dynamic presence. At present, he’s just become Erik ten Hag’s version of a more refined Marouane Fellaini.

Andre Onana’s case

Most United players will remember October as the wretched month. For Onana, it might well be the month where everything fell into place.

After a wretched start to the season, Onana had consecutive commanding performances, punctuated with a last-minute penalty save against Copenhagen which saved United’s European adventure.

He was brave in possession, improved his shot-stopping form, and was one of the few players who came away from the Derby defeat with an enhanced reputation.

Without the Cameroonian, another big-game embarrassment was on the way for United against City. Fans and the club will hope that that is not a false dawn and the goalkeeper has finally found form in English football.

If that’s the case, the team will look reformed when the outfield clicks.

For that reason, Onana should be the favourite for the award. He has no asterisks next to his candidacy, unlike McTominay and Maguire.

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Manchester United endured an up-and-down October with three wins and two defeats from their five fixtures of the month.

Brentford, Sheffield United and FC Copenhagen were beaten without much conviction and with Galatasaray and Manchester City both winning at Old Trafford, October represents a period that needs major improvement as we move into November.

However, despite the sticky form there have been some decent individual showings and the Player of the Month award will be a tight one.

Andre Onana, Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay are the three nominees with each player enjoying a bit of redemption over the last few weeks.

#mufc's October Player of the Month nominees:

Harry Maguire
Scott McTominay
Andrè Onana

Who deserves the award? pic.twitter.com/M1SBAgm6kS

— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) October 31, 2023

Onana started the month in shaky fashion, performing poorly in the home games against Galatasaray and Brentford respectively, symptomatic of his overall start to life at Old Trafford.

However, a last gasp penalty save in the must-win Champions League game against Copenhagen secured United’s 1-0 lead and ensured Erik ten Hag’s side are still alive in the competition.

The Cameroonian followed that up with a strong showing in the otherwise drab Manchester derby, stopping City from racking up numbers that would have looked more at home at the cricket ground, a mile up the road.

Harry Maguire’s recall back to the starting XI has allowed the former captain to regain some confidence, performing consistently well throughout the month.

Although the quality of opposition shouldn’t have been overly taxing for the England international, the spotlight was on Maguire to string together some mistake-free showings in a United shirt.

And to his credit, that’s exactly what he did, picking up the Man-of-the-Match award against Sheffield United, scoring the winner against Copenhagen and providing the assist for Scott McTominay’s dramatic late winner at home to Brentford.

McTominay’s winner in that game wasn’t before the Scot had already drawn United level in the dying embers of a game they barely deserved to win but managed to steal the three points thanks to the midfielder’s inspired intervention.

The 26-year-old followed his dramatic double with the opener in the win at struggling Sheffield United, earning him a starting place in the Derby where he almost drew United level with a vicious half volley before running out of steam, much like his teammates.

The recognition represent a remarkable turnaround for the three players, particularly Maguire and McTominay, who were seemingly heading for the exit door in the summer.

Onana’s wobbly start to life in Manchester should also be boosted by his performances at the end of the month, with the ‘keeper showing the form that earned him a place in the top 25 of the Ballon d’Or rankings.

The trio will hope to carry their good form into November, which will be crucial to United saving a season that is hanging by a thread – even at this early stage.

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United suffered a 3-0 loss at Old Trafford against their neighbours earlier today.

A 26th-minute penalty from Erling Haaland opened the score for Pep Guardiola’s men. The Norwegian added a second in the second half after being left unmarked inside the box.

Phil Foden added the third of the game to ensure City clinched all three points against the Red Devils.

After the game, Onana spoke to BBC Match of the Day (via Manchester Evening News) and gave his opinion on what went wrong for United vs. City and how best to move forward.

Onana had a brilliant personal performance and is one of the few players who could say they did their jobs as required.

He came up with a number of crucial saves that kept United in the game and kept the scoreline from being embarrassing.

After a difficult start to life at United, it seems that Onana is well on his way to finally turning a corner and showing why Erik ten Hag spent big money to bring him from Inter Milan.

The Cameroonian said after the final whistle, “It is not how we want. We played a very good opponent and unfortunately, we didn’t read the game.”

“As Manchester United, we try to be ready every game but there were some key moments – like the penalty. I’m not the one to decide [the penalty] and we have to accept the decision of the referee.”

“The first goal was a key moment and from there on we looked down.”

United face Newcastle next in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday at home.

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Manchester United slumped to a devastating 0-3 defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.

In every aspect of gameplay, Man United appeared to be the inferior side, maintaining just 39% ball possession and managing a total of seven shots, paling in comparison to the visitors’ 21 attempts on goal.

Still, despite the team’s poor showing, one United star made some worthy contributions on the pitch.

From early on in the clash, goalkeeper Andre Onana was forced into action in order to deny Phil Foden from scoring off a close-range header.

While the ball bounced back out to the feet of Erling Haaland, the Cameroonian shot-stopper denied City yet again, this time inches away from the goal line.

Although Haaland’s 26th-minute penalty found the back of the net, City were unable to get the better of Onana from open play throughout the opening 45 minutes.

Haaland doubled City’s lead within three minutes after the restart, however, United’s defenders’ inability to mark the Norwegian left Onana unable to stop his header.

Yet again, City’s third goal courtesy of Foden came as a result of poor marking and a lack of concentration amid a rapid counter-attack by the visitors.

With 53 touches, Onana saw a lot of the ball both as a shot-stopper and as a component of United’s build-up play.

His 29 completed passes out of 40 made for a 73% success rate, while he was successful in his only run-out of the game to deny Haaland from scoring.

While he only managed to complete eight out of 18 long balls, Onana nonetheless showed a desire to jumpstart the United attack at a time when his outfield teammates exhibited little pace and creativity up front.

Most importantly, the 27-year-old made an impressive seven saves, denying City from scoring even more in an already humiliating derby defeat.

Although Onana may not have delivered his best passing display, he has no doubt improved in the saving department, an area of concern since the Cameroonian arrived at Old Trafford in the summer.

Should his teammates be able to improve their outfield performances, Onana may indeed be the goalkeeper that United need to take them forward so long as he continues to strengthen his shot-stopping abilities.

(Stats via Sofascore)

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United went into the game on the back of three consecutive wins across all competitions. City on the other hand were keen on gaining ground on table-leading Tottenham Hotspur.

Erik ten Hag started Andre Onana in goal, with a defensive four of Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof ahead of the goalkeeper.

In midfield, Ten Hag gave the nod to Sofyan Amrabat, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay.

Rasmus Hojlund started up front with Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford flanking him on either side. Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 3-0 win against Manchester City.

Onana much better and growing in confidence in a United shirt

After his summer move from Inter Milan, Onana endured a difficult start to life at United.

He made a number of high-profile errors, especially in the Champions League, that dearly cost his side. However, the shot-stopper made a heroic last-gasp save against FC Copenhagen and the hope was that it would mark a change in fortunes for the Cameroonian.

Onana picked up where he left off by playing well against City – one of the few United players who could claim to come out of the game with any credit.

Especially in the opening 45 minutes, the 27-year-old came up with some clutch saves that kept United in the game.

In the early stages of the match, he kept a Phil Foden header from flying into the back of the net, when the effort from the City forward seemed to be destined to go in.

Acrobatically, Onana clutched on the ball once again to keep it from the path of Erling Haaland who was lurking to tap it in.

The United goalkeeper made an equally important save from a bullet header from Haaland just before the interval and prevented the Red Devils from going into the break two goals down and with a mountain to climb.

Unluckily for Onana, he could not do much about Haaland’s penalty that was dubiously awarded to the Norwegian after Hojlund was deemed to have brought Rodri down inside his own box from the slightest and softest of touches.

In the second half, Onana also made some big saves without which United would have suffered an even more embarrassing scoreline.

He kept a powerful shot from Jack Grealish out. In another instance, Haaland was put through on goal before trying a chipped finish, but Onana came out of his line and made himself big enough to deny the goalscorer his hat trick.

Beyond his incredible saves, Onana’s kicking was much better and more refined. He frequently found Hojlund who in turn held up the ball well to bring his teammates into play.

Onana was in regular communication with his defenders from the number of times he could be seen issuing instructions to Maguire and Evans.

The former Inter Milan man is undoubtedly growing in confidence after a pretty rough beginning to his Old Trafford tenure.

Lindelof poor at left-back

One thing that was questioned when the team sheet came out was Ten Hag’s decision to start Lindelof at left-back while Sergio Reguilon was on the bench.

Against City, Lindelof showed why he is not a natural fit for the full-back position.

In quick succession during the first half, he was caught sleeping by Foden, who easily kept making runs in behind the United defender.

For Haaland’s second goal, Lindelof was dragged inside to mark another player, only to leave the City talisman wide open, unmarked and with all the space and time in the world to pick his spot.

Expectedly, Haaland made no mistake from close range.

Maybe instinctively, Lindelof kept tucking in and seemingly occupying a left-centre-back position. The result was that the City attackers were able to maintain as much width as they liked through Foden.

Even going forward, the Sweden international did not offer much. He did not provide the needed overlapping runs or any form of support in the channels – at least not in the way Reguilon or Luke Shaw do it.

Ten Hag has at times resorted to deploying Lindelof at left-back, sometimes out of necessity due to an injury crisis. However, when there is the option of not doing so, it makes little sense to use the Swede in that role.

The 29-year-old is suited to operating at the heart of the backline and luckily for Pep Guardiola’s men, they had this weakness to repeatedly exploit and utilize to their advantage.

Pressure mounting on Ten Hag

While his job is not in any danger at the moment, pressure is certainly mounting on Ten Hag for multiple reasons.

In addition to the questionable team selections, the team lacks an identity or clear style of play.

There seems to be no cohesion or meaningful direction and it’s worrying that United are trying to grind out results this early into the season.

From the outside looking in, it appears like Ten Hag has abandoned his principles and football philosophy for short-term gain and immediate results but as has been seen in the past, such methods are simply not sustainable.

The 53-year-old coach has recently spoken about pragmatism and the need to register wins even in the absence of convincing performances, but this can only get the team so far. In any case, one would argue that a top manager should be able to achieve both at the same time and as it stands, Ten Hag is failing at this objective.

There are of course factors that have hindered the Dutchman this campaign including injuries and other off-the-pitch matters but overall, his influence in terms of play is not being felt. This is being seen by just how much United are constantly outdone by opposing teams week in and week out.

Questions need to be asked of Ten Hag and if this persists, it won’t be long until the pitchforks come out and people start calling for him to be sacked.

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