Manchester United have officially confirmed the signing of Bryan Mbeumo, the former Brentford winger, bringing an end to a long and drawn-out transfer saga. Brentford initially rejected multiple bids, but United’s persistence finally paid off as they secured the highly-rated left-footed winger, who is expected to add goals, pace, creativity, and attacking balance to Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side.
However, the conversation around Emi Martinez Manchester United links has intensified, as fans believe bringing in the Aston Villa and World Cup-winning goalkeeper would be a huge upgrade.
While the attack has been strengthened, questions continue to loom over Manchester United’s goalkeeping department. Ruben Amorim may now be forced to make key changes between the posts—not just for technical improvement, but to restore calmness and reliability after Andre Onana’s controversial performances. Ruben Amorim, to his credit, showed willingness to bench Andre Onana last season.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper has been heavily criticized for his excessive risk-taking, unorthodox mind games, and costly ball-handling errors, which have directly led to several soft goals. A sizeable section of the fan base and pundits alike believe Onana’s style has brought unnecessary chaos, undermining the defensive structure.
In what could be the clearest sign yet that Amorim is ready to fix Manchester United’s goalkeeping crisis, reports suggest the club has made a shock move for Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez, the World Cup-winning goalkeeper with Argentina. Martinez’s proven EPL experience and a much calmer but commanding presence would offer the much-needed leadership and composure that United have lacked since David De Gea’s departure.
Ironically, United parted ways with David De Gea on a free transfer after labeling him too erratic and criticizing his limited ability to build play from the back. Yet, Andre Onana, who was brought in as a supposed upgrade, has quickly become the butt of online jokes due to his frequent mistakes and questionable decision-making.
While Onana’s statistics don’t necessarily make him the worst goalkeeper in the Premier League, his performances have often appeared reckless, unprofessional, and lacking the level of seriousness historically associated with Manchester United goalkeepers.
The Good Side of Andre Onana – Why Some Fans Still Back Him
Despite his critics, Andre Onana still has his supporters among Manchester United fans, and for good reason. The Cameroonian goalkeeper managed nine clean sheets in the Premier League last season, a record bettered by only seven other goalkeepers in the division. This is a respectable achievement considering Manchester United finished 15th in the league, a position that often leaves goalkeepers far more exposed.
However, clean sheets are not always an accurate reflection of an individual goalkeeper’s ability—they are often a product of the entire team’s defensive effort. So, what does Andre Onana’s individual performance actually say about the type of goalkeeper he has been for Manchester United?
To be fair, Onana started his United career quite positively in his debut season. He produced a number of athletic, reflex saves and quickly established himself as a vocal presence at the back. His constant shouting and commanding instructions to defenders suggested a goalkeeper who wanted to organize his backline and keep his teammates alert throughout matches.
In those early weeks, Onana’s confidence, charisma, and strong personality looked like exactly what Manchester United needed—an assertive shot-stopper capable of taking charge in high-pressure situations. However, he had already made a number of high-profile mistakes in his first season and more prominently in the Champions League – but it was not overly concerning to most Manchester United fans at the time as that was his first season.
Dwight Yorke’s Brutal Assessment of Onana’s Style
By March 2024, concerns over Andre Onana’s style of play had already been publicly voiced by Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke. The former treble-winning striker did not hold back in his criticism, questioning whether Onana’s approach was suitable for the Premier League and for a club with the stature of Manchester United.
Speaking in an interview, Yorke said: “Manchester United have brought in a keeper who wants to start the attacks and is more aggressive in trying to dominate teams with possession. People have asked me why I have been so critical of Onana—I’m an individual who sees it as it is, it doesn’t matter to me who or what you are. The Premier League is different; you will get found out by playing in a high-profile team at a high-profile position. Onana is not as good as David De Gea. Onana tries to be an outfield player rather than a goalkeeper sometimes.”
The idea of taking more risks so close to the goalposts would worry any supporter—especially when those risks involved overplaying with the ball at his feet, something David De Gea was rarely guilty of.
But instead of heeding these warnings, Onana appeared to double down on his approach. He maintained the same high-risk style, and his body language often came across as overly confident—even “cocky” to some critics.
So, what exactly did Onana do next after these warnings?
When the Unorthodox Mind Games Started Ahead of the 2024-2025 Season
The tipping point for Andre Onana’s reputation at Manchester United seemed to come just before the start of the 2024-2025 season, when the goalkeeper made headlines for his rather bold and unorthodox mind games.
Onana publicly urged Manchester United fans “to be prepared”, openly admitting that he planned to take even more risks in the upcoming campaign. His comments sent shockwaves through sections of the fanbase, with many unsure whether to interpret his confidence as ambition or sheer recklessness.
Speaking ahead of the new season, Onana said: “That’s me. And I think it’s what you’re gonna see this season because I will take a lot of risks. I can tell you in advance already! Be prepared because it’s gonna be this season, trust me! I will enjoy it even more when this season starts.”
These comments came at a time when Onana was already under criticism. His debut season at Old Trafford—the 2023-2024 campaign—had seen him make several high-profile errors in the UEFA Champions League.
Andre Onana vs Gabriel Magalhães – The Penalty Mind Games That Backfired
In July 2024, during a pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Arsenal in Los Angeles, Andre Onana attempted what can only be described as an absurd penalty-saving tactic against Gabriel Magalhães.
Instead of standing centrally as most goalkeepers do, Onana positioned himself to the right side of the goal and audaciously told Gabriel to shoot towards the left side. Gabriel obliged—and scored with ease.
To make matters worse, after converting the penalty, Gabriel Magalhães gestured back at Onana, seemingly telling him that he talks too much but doesn’t live up to the hype. It was hard to blame Gabriel for the gesture—Onana had dived the wrong way despite literally inviting the Arsenal defender to place the ball where he wanted.
What was meant to look like clever mind games instead left Onana looking unprofessional and overconfident, feeding into growing criticism of his antics.
Andre Onana vs Erling Haaland – More “Comical” Penalty Antics
If that wasn’t enough, Andre Onana tried the same risky antics again just a month later. During the Community Shield penalty shootout against Manchester City in August 2024, Onana attempted to use the same psychological trick against Erling Haaland.
This time, Onana stood to the left of the goalposts, waving his arms and gesturing for Haaland to place the ball to the right. But, just like Gabriel before him, Haaland calmly sent Onana the wrong way and scored with ease.
One source summed up the moment perfectly: “Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana left Manchester City striker Erling Haaland laughing after his shenanigans in the Community Shield penalty shootout.”
Reinventing the Wheel or Just a Comical Show?
Many fans and pundits questioned whether Andre Onana was trying to “reinvent the wheel” with these bizarre penalty mind games. Is there any top goalkeeper in modern football who tries stopping penalties by standing away from the center of the goalposts?
Months later, it all looks less like genius psychology and more like a comical show performed by Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper. Instead of intimidating opponents, Onana’s antics seem to have turned him into a source of amusement—the very opposite of what great goalkeepers are remembered for.
What Statistics Say About Andre Onana
What the Statistics Say About Andre Onana
Error-Prone and Costly
Since joining Manchester United, Andre Onana has developed an unenviable reputation for being error-prone. According to Opta statistics, no Premier League goalkeeper has made more errors directly leading to a goal than Andre Onana since the start of last season.
This recurring habit of gifting goals has shaken fan confidence, with many openly questioning whether he is the right man to be Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Legends Question Onana’s Reliability
Even Manchester United legends have voiced their concerns. Peter Schmeichel, who made 398 appearances for the club and is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history, has publicly stated that he does not believe Onana is a safe pair of hands. Peter Schmeichel is one of the many fans that have already asked Ruben Amorim to sort out his goalkeeping position.
When a goalkeeper of Schmeichel’s stature questions your reliability, it speaks volumes about the concerns within and outside the club.
The Worst Record Compared to Manchester United Greats
The statistics become even more damning when comparing Onana to other legendary Manchester United goalkeepers. According to Transfermarkt:
- Andre Onana – 1.48 goals conceded per game
- David De Gea – 1.08 goals conceded per game
- Peter Schmeichel – 0.82 goals conceded per game
- Edwin van der Sar – 0.76 goals conceded per game
These numbers highlight how historically poor Onana’s record has been compared to his predecessors.
Former United midfielder Nemanja Matic even claimed that Onana is arguably the worst goalkeeper in Manchester United’s history, and looking at these statistics, he might have a point.
Andre Onana – The Butt of All Online Jokes?
The big question now is: Will Ruben Amorim give Andre Onana another chance, or has he finally had enough of the error-prone goalkeeper? With mounting pressure to fix Manchester United’s goalkeeping crisis, fans are divided—some still believe Onana can improve, while others insist the club needs a more reliable shot-stopper immediately.
Meanwhile, Andre Onana has become the butt of countless online jokes, with football fans relentlessly mocking his risky style, bizarre penalty antics, and high-profile blunders. Social media has been flooded with memes and sarcastic comments, turning Onana into one of the most talked-about (and laughed-about) goalkeepers in the Premier League.
Here are some of the funniest pieces of football banter directed at Andre Onana:
Conclusion – What Next for Andre Onana at Manchester United?
Andre Onana’s time at Manchester United has been anything but ordinary. From his athletic saves and vocal leadership early on, to his high-risk antics, bizarre penalty mind games, and costly errors, the Cameroonian has divided opinions among fans, pundits, and club legends alike.
The statistics paint a grim picture—more errors leading to goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper, the worst goals-conceded-per-game ratio compared to Manchester United greats, and a growing reputation for being unpredictable and overconfident. While his supporters point to his nine clean sheets and ball-playing ability, his critics argue that consistency, reliability, and composure matter far more for a Manchester United goalkeeper.
As things stand, Ruben Amorim faces a huge decision: Does he give Onana another chance to redeem himself, or does he replace him with someone more dependable—possibly Emi Martinez? One thing is certain: if Onana remains first choice, Manchester United’s hopes of returning to the top will depend heavily on whether he cuts out the mistakes and proves he is more than just the butt of online jokes.
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