Pep Guardiola is no stranger to going overboard with his praise at times.
But when the Manchester City boss labelled Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana ‘exceptional‘ in one particular area of his game back in 2023, it was probably safe to take Guardiola at his word.
Arguably nobody in football has played a bigger role than the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach in the rise of the ball-playing number one.
So the man who turned Victor Valdes, Manuel Neuer and Ederson into three of the most transformative goalkeepers in the game was worth listening to when he spoke glowingly about the playmaking prowess of Andre Onana.
A year on – United snapped up Onana from Inter Milan and under the noses of Chelsea after their Champions League final defeat to Man City in Istanbul – the Cameroon international remains something of a divisive figure amongst the Red Devils fanbase.
Andre Onana still has much to prove at Manchester United
Despite some stellar displays – those against Aston Villa, Liverpool and versus City in the FA Cup final come to mind – there has also been a few high-profile blunders.
There is also a feeling that Erik ten Hag is yet to harness Onana’s supreme distribution to United’s benefit.
Former Old Trafford glovesman Anders Lindegaard, however, insists that this is not merely an Onana-only issue.
His stellar display during Inter’s narrow 1-0 loss in Turkey was not simply the result to Onana’s pinpoint passing. Also the movement of his team-mates, freeing themselves up to receive the ball, and the fluidity of the Nerazzuri’s tactics.
“Playing out from the back is not just about you,” Lindergaard explains to the official Man United website. “It is about the team in front of you as well.
“So, the team needs to be set up and have the right players to do that.
“I remember before United signed him, when he played the Champions League final with Inter against Manchester City and he controlled the game. City couldn’t make their play work and couldn’t get their press working, couldn’t get the ball off Inter, because of Onana.
“He was by far the best player on the pitch in that match. It was one of the best performances I have ever seen any keeper have with their feet and that really tells you something. If you can do that in a Champions League final and against Manchester City, then it is pure world class.
“I want to see that as a Manchester United fan. But he needs the help of his team-mates and his coaches to practice something like this.”
Man United should, at least, make progress in that department during Onana’s second season. The returns of Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez – their best ball-progressing defenders – will make a huge difference.
As will the potential arrival of Onana’s former Ajax team-mates Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. Not to mention a more technically-adept number six to replace the increasingly-wayward Casemiro.
Lindegaard, speaking ahead of the ‘United Legends’ charity clash with Celtic on September 7th, believes that Onana can be happy with the way he has developed since swapping Milan for Manchester.
He echoes the claims made by former United coach Benni McCarthy when discussing the unaviodable – if maybe unfair – comparisons with David de Gea.
Onana is a very different goalkeeper to David de Gea
“I think Onana has done very well, in terms of handling (pressure),” adds Lindegaard, who made 29 appearances before joining West Brom in 2015. “I think he got a lot of criticism. I think he got too much as well.
“People should try to understand what it is that he was brought to Manchester United for. He was not brought to Manchester United to just make world-class saves and bail the team out, as we have been used to a little bit with David De Gea.
“He was brought to Manchester United because he has world-class feet. He is a top-three goalkeeper on the planet with his feet in terms of distribution, in terms of passing the ball out, setting up play.
“You can’t expect him to dominate the boxes like Thibaut Courtois. You can’t expect him to make as many fingertip saves as David De Gea. That is their best ability, and where they are the best in the world.
“Yet, we can expect him to be world class with his feet. But he can’t do that without the help of his team.
“At the end of the day, the fact he has overcome the amount of criticism he has faced is a testament to his mental strength. He’s got a very strong head. The fact he can overcome it is remarkable and really impressive and I salute that.
“I just hope he is given the chance to really showcase how brilliant he is with his feet.”
Onana should benefit from the appointment of Jelle ten Rouwelaar as United’s new goalkeeper coach.
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