Being the first-choice Manchester United goalkeeper comes with the highest expectations and sometimes the harshest scrutiny. Andre Onana knows that after a mixed first season at Old Trafford.
One man who has experienced this first-hand is former United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard, who recently spoke to club media ahead of his debut for United Legends, against Celtic, in September.
Lindegaard has confidentially backed Onana to continue his upward trajectory. The Cameroonian keeper’s form picked up after his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, but this season higher standards are expected of him.
“I think Onana has done very well, in terms of handling it [the pressure],” said Lindegaard, as per ManUtd.com.
“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 in 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. It is a lot easier to make world-class fingertip saves just by yourself. But playing out from the back is not just about you, 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.
“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 think he found himself in a good place and a good state by the end of the season and I can assure you that he will have been a lot stronger by the end of the season than he was at the start. He has taken in a lot of experience that is going to benefit him for his further career at Manchester United. I just hope he is given the chance to really showcase how brilliant he is with his feet.
“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.”
Lindegaard retired from playing football in 2022 following a spell at Helsingborg.
He spent five years at United between 2010-2015 before going on to play for West Brom, Preston North End and Burnley.
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