Newcastle urged to target Manchester United ace pundit feels may be weak link

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Former Newcastle defender Stuart Pearce admits he would look to target the under-fire Andre Onana during Saturday evening’s Premier League clash with Manchester United.

The spotlight shining in the goalkeepers eyes after a couple of high-profile mistakes during the calamitous Champions League draw with Galatasaray, St James’ Park on a baltic Saturday night is just about the last place Andre Onana would ideally like to travel to.

Perhaps the most intense, all-action team in the Premier League, backed by a crowd baying for blood. This has the makings of a potentially make-or-break night in Onana’s Manchester United career.

If he can come through an atmosphere like this, and maintain his excellent recent form on the domestic stage, then that would certainly be the first steps toward exercising the ghosts of Istanbul.

Manchester United travel to Newcastle

“I would,” Stuart Pearce, the former England and Newcastle left-back tells talkSPORT when asked if he would look to ‘target’ Onana (1 December, 10am).

“If I was taking free-kicks, that’s for sure. I would get one on target as quickly as I humanly could. I have played with goalkeepers where you think; ‘You know what, if the opposition have a shot, the idiot behind me is going to drop one in’.

“And it absolutely ruins you as a team.”

Onana, it should be said, had been in terrific nick in recent weeks, that last-gasp Copenhagen penalty save kick-starting a run of form which saw the £47 million signing from Inter Milan move into pole position for the Premier League’s Golden Glove award.

The Cameroon international was outstanding again during Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Everton. A game far closer than the lopsided scoreline suggests.

Andre Onana under pressure

“I don’t think (Onana’s midweek struggles) gives Newcastle the edge because he’s also got the ability t pull off a wonderful save to keep his team in it,” Pearce adds. “(But) if I were them, I would get shots on target early and I would chase him down because he portrays a goalkeeper with supreme confidence and that belies a real nervousness.”

Pearce believes Newcastle will triumph 3-1 on the night, sealing a third successive win over Erik ten Hag’s side since that Carabao Cup final in the spring.