And so the cycle continues at Manchester United. With the end of the season on the horizon, the Red Devils will head into the summer window in need of a major overhaul yet again in this grim post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Getting it right on the recruitment front has long been an issue at Old Trafford, even stretching into the glory days under Fergie. Who can forget the 2009 window, in which the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez were replaced by Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan…
A word must also be said for 2013, when new boss David Moyes spent the summer chasing Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale – in came Marouane Fellaini. The 2020 window, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is another that requires further scrutiny, with the Norwegian coach handed the likes of Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani, Alex Telles and a teenage Facundo Pellistri.
As can be seen above, far too often have the Manchester side made a mess of things with regard to incomings, with INEOS – who may have questions to answer regarding their own business last summer – now left to try and rebuild the squad in Ruben Amorim‘s image.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co will no doubt need to cover up the mess of the previous regime, with there seemingly a number of Erik ten Hag signings who need to be shown the door ahead of 2025/26.
How Man Utd’s stars compare under Ten Hag & Amorim this season
When Amorim walked in the door back in November, United were languishing in mid-table, albeit with just seven points separating them and the top four, amid a slim but realistic chance of ending the season in the Champions League berths.
As it stands, the 15th-place strugglers are now 13 points behind Chelsea in fifth, having also slipped to ten points adrift of eighth-place Brighton and Hove Albion, ensuring any form of European qualification is likely to rest on Europa League glory.
Those woes lay bare the difficulties that Amorim has faced since replacing Ten Hag in the dugout, with far too many of his side having gone even further off the boil following the change in manager.
As indicated in the table above, the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo – prior to his cruel injury blow – have been the major beneficiaries of the Portuguese’s arrival, with the attacking pair having found their shooting boots amid the change in set-up.
On the flip side, Alejandro Garnacho – who was linked with a move to Chelsea in January – has scored just once under the new regime, with questions still to be asked over whether the Argentine truly fits in the 3-4-3 system.
The 20-year-old winger isn’t alone in having suffered of late, with Andre Onana‘s strong early-season form having rapidly faded over the past three months or so.
Man Utd’s “best player this season” needs to be sold
Prior to Amorim’s arrival – and the meteoric rise of Amad – there was a time in which it looked like Onana was blossoming into becoming United’s key performer, with journalist Steven Railston stating in late November that the Cameroonian had been the club’s “best player this season” at that stage.
Indeed, the former Inter stopper had produced a real highlight reel of saves in the early months of the campaign, even as Ten Hag’s fortunes dwindled, having notably produced stunning double saves away to the likes of Crystal Palace – as shown above – and Porto.
Since Amorim’s appointment, however, things have quickly taken a turn for the worse, with the 28-year-old making a string of costly mistakes across all competitions. After conceding just 17 times in 13 games under Ten Hag, Onana has now conceded 32 goals in just 20 games under Amorim in 2024/25.
Against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, for instance, the experienced ‘keeper failed to keep out Morgan Gibbs-White’s long-range effort, before both he and Lisandro Martinez watched on as Chris Wood’s header looped in at the back post.
Just days later, Onana’s errant pass out from the back was swiftly punished as Viktoria Plzen took a shock lead away in Czechia, while the new year has seemingly been the same old story, with the one-time Ajax man at fault for Brighton’s third goal after palming the ball into the path of Georginio Rutter.
That was followed by the £120k-per-week star also pushing the ball into the path of James Maddison in the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, while he also produced a strange parry into the air for Abdoulaye Doucoure’s header in the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.
That growing list was then added to in the narrow 3-2 win over Ipswich Town, with Onana – who had raced out of his goal – partially at fault along with Patrick Dorgu for the away side’s opener, having also failed to keep out Jaden Philogene’s curling cross.
With three errors made leading to a goal by United’s number 24 in the Premier League this term, he is now looking back to the player who proved so costly in last season’s Champions League group stage horror show.
As analyst H noted on X, Onana will “never fill the Old Trafford crowd with any sense of confidence”, be it with the ball at his feet or when making a save. As The Overlap’s tactics man also went on to state, such uncertainty and nervousness is “impossible to come back from”.
|
Most errors leading to a goal – PL goalkeepers |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Errors |
|
Arijant Muric |
5 |
|
Robert Sanchez |
5 |
|
Bart Vebruggen |
4 |
|
Andre Onana |
3 |
|
Alex McCarthy |
2 |
|
Nick Pope |
2 |
The Manchester Evening News has reported in recent days that the current first-choice is keen to stay put next season, yet with Amorim himself seemingly looking to acquire a new goalkeeper, Onana’s days at Old Trafford should well be numbered.
And so, while the £47.2m signing did show signs of life in the early months of 2024/25, old habits have crept back in since then. INEOS may have other more pressing issues to consider this summer, but seeking out an upgrade in the sticks should certainly remain high on the agenda.
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Not just Lindelof: Amorim must sell Man Utd man who earns more than Mainoo
Manchester United should move on from the winger in the summer transfer window.
