To all those who doubted Manchester United’s most in-form player, let your apologies be as loud as your disrespect.
Though, in fairness to one of the Red Devils’ critics, he knows that credit is due where credit is due.
Darren Bent, the former England, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa striker, was one of many queueing up to question the £42 million deal which took Andre Onana to Manchester United from Inter Milan during the summer of 2023.
And, in his defence, Bent could only comment on what he witnessed with his own two eyes.
Even Onana’s most committed supporters would have to admit that the Cameroon international endured a pretty traumatic start to life at Old Trafford, the goalkeeper playing a major role in what proved to be a disastrous and short-lived Champions League campaign.
One year on, however, Onana has gone from maligned to masterful.
A man who cost United plenty of points both at home and abroad at the start of 2023/24 now doing precisely the opposite in the beginning of 2024/25.
Darren Bent rows back on criticism of Manchester United’s Andre Onana
Erik ten Hag’s job is under threat again amid links with former Barcelona boss Xavi, for instance. Man United have been on the winning side just four times in their last 13 matches.
Without their number 24 pulling off remarkable reflex saves between the sticks – Onana’s ‘unbelievable’ double stop left Fenerbahce stunned in the Europa League on Thursday – it hardly bares thinking about where United would be right now.
And Bent, exactly 12 months after he labelled Onana ‘lethargic’ and ’embarrassing’ after a 3-2 home defeat to Galatasaray, has certainly changed his tune.
“He is somebody who has stepped up,” Bent now tells talkSPORT [25 October, 4pm]. “He is making save upon save. Yes, he might make the odd mistake, but which goalkeeper doesn’t?”
“[Onana’s Fenerbahce heroics were] incredible. Absolutely incredible. I thought he played well.”
Brought in largely because of his abilities with the ball at his feet – Ten Hag’s ex-Ajax glovesman Andre Onana can be a ‘world-class’ distributor on his day – the 28-year-old has made serious progress in 2024 when it comes to keeping the ball out of the back of the net.
Erik ten Hag and Jose Mourinho lauded Onana after Fenerbahce draw
The saves he produced against the likes of Fenerbahce and Crystal Palace would not look out of place amongst a compilation of David de Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar’s best moments.
Onana is most certainly now settling into arguably the most high-pressure position in world football.
“It was an unbelievable double save [from Onana], yeah,” Ten Hag told reporters after Man United were held by Jose Mourinho’s Turkish giants at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
“Onana made two incredible saves, in our fantastic initial period,” Mourinho himself adds.
“Come on, he saves the result! My goalkeeper [Dominik Livakovic] didn’t make a save. He made two impossible saves in 10 seconds. I think he’s the most decisive player in the result.
“Two saves [that were] incredible.”
Despite Man United’s well-publicised issues in the defensive third – Ten Hag’s ill-advised tactics leaving a talented backline more exposed than ever – Andre Onana continues to set the pace in the Premier League’s Golden Glove chase.
Only Liverpool’s Alisson Becker can match his tally of four clean sheets, albeit from two fewer appearances.
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