Manchester United fans, for once, are no longer lamenting the loss of a player flourishing elsewhere, because Andre Onana has been completely overshadowed by Senne Lammens.
Old Trafford has a new hero in Senne Lammens, and it was much needed after the disastrous spells for Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana.
Bayindir is still at the club, but Onana is at Trabzonspor, and by all accounts, loving life away from the glare and scrutiny of Man Utd.
His fall from grace, however, is still baffling, and the goalkeeper has now hinted that the change in his game, which hurt United, is not down to him completely.
Andre Onana explains the change in his game at Man Utd
It feels like an era ago now, but the season before Onana joined Man Utd, he played in the final of the Champions League for Inter, made the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, and had Pep Guardiola raving about his ability on the ball.
Onana was on top of the world after that Champions League final for Inter vs Man City, and when he signed for United, the upgrade on David de Gea felt tangible.
United were finally coming into the new era of sweeper keepers.
Then his debut happened, where he was lobbed from behind the halfway line in pre-season, and it set the tone for his whole spell at the club.
Forget the poor traditional goalkeeping, Onana was a shell of his former self when it came to being a part of the build-up or creating chances through his kicking.
Instead of being an upgrade on De Gea, he effectively became a downgrade by having all of his weaknesses with the ball, while having none of the traditional shot-stopping excellence.
Speaking to Trabzonspor’s club magazine, relayed by Turkish outlet Bolgenin Sesi, Onana has now hinted that the stark contrast in his game from Inter to Utd was down to the team he played with.
He said: “Goalkeeping has changed completely in the last 20 years. Now you have to be involved in the game. Pep Guardiola’s praise of me was nice, but it’s not personal; it’s team play. This image is created thanks to my friends who provide me with passing options.”
Onana has been here before
Onana doesn’t name United directly, but his praise for his teammates at Inter is in stark contrast to his comments about United.
He has previously shirked responsibility for his role in United’s defeats, saying the team was responsible as a whole, and he should not be solely blamed.
Those words don’t align with the image he tried to project at Old Trafford, that of an unflappable leader ready to front up and take accountability.
Not only was he extremely flappable, with every error piling up in his mind to trap him in a vicious cycle, but he has also shown no sign of taking accountability.
Man Utd fans will hope that he finds a team again that gives him passing options so he can show what he’s capable of, because his race should be run at United.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
