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Andre Onana possesses a method which is able to inevitably divide.
A quintessential trendy goalkeeper, Manchester United’s new goalkeeper thrives as a lot with the ball as with out. He operates because the final line of defence as an aggressive sweeper, and the primary line of assault as a assured and succesful distributor.
Onana will undoubtedly present a stark distinction to the extra timid performances of the lately departed David De Gea.
Whereas this proactive fashion of retaining could also be refreshing to many followers, and a necessary to his supervisor, it’s one which leaves a goalkeeper weak to criticism. By persistently taking dangers with the ball, the likelihood of a deadly error occurring will increase exponentially.
That is evidently a danger price taking in accordance with the actions of soccer’s high managers who, persistently, deploy a goalkeeper who operates on this method. The positives derived from this alternative embrace the flexibility to maintain assaults and comfortably navigate the counter-press.
Onana’s efficiency within the Champions League last is the proper illustration of this.
Regardless of finally shedding the match, Inter Milan have been extra than a match for a way more proficient Manchester Metropolis aspect, who have been lucky to win 1-0. On the coronary heart of this show was Onana who Pep Guardiola described as “distinctive”, given the goalkeeper couldn’t be pressed “properly.” His skillset fashion enabled Inter to persistently evade Metropolis’s swarm of pressers and to construct significant assaults from the again. It was a world-class efficiency on membership soccer’s largest stage.
The counter-argument to such a participant are the inevitable errors. Richard Keys has encapsulated that argument with this daring prediction:
“[Onana] will price United as many factors in a season as De Gea used to avoid wasting.”
Keys goes on to find out United’s goalkeeper change is a “large name” by ten Hag.
Whereas this can be true, given the price concerned in Onana’s acquisition and the actual fact he’s untested in English soccer, there may be little danger of United’s new goalkeeper making extra any extra errors than his predecessor.
De Gea produced a listing of errors in direction of the tip of final season, with clangers in opposition to West Ham, Sevilla and Manchester Metropolis within the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup last turning a probably glorious season into merely a great one.
Certainly, these errors are exactly what led ten Hag to conclude De Gea was not a viable primary in his system, with efforts intensifying to land Onana thereafter.
Keys is, subsequently, merely fulfilling his common modus operandi.
He has latched onto an inexpensive concern – Onana’s suitability to Premier League soccer at a giant membership – and conflated it with a vapid and faulty opinion – Onana will make extra errors than De Gea ‘ostensibly’ saves. The ultimate product is reactionary clickbait which sounds nice on preliminary look, however falls flat as soon as examined with any degree of scrutiny. The Keys particular.
Fortunately Erik ten Hag doesn’t function with such thoughtlessness.
