Onana struggles are no different to De Gea issues

A UNITED official’s arm was draped around Andre Onana as they walked through the mixed zone on Wednesday evening.

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Onana volunteered to front up in Munich after he flimsily conceded to Leroy Sane but not this time. Onana is the fall guy amid the fallout. Unlike in Munich, none of the United players visibly offered Onana a pick-me-up.

“Andre is okay,” Erik ten Hag said. “As I said, it is not about individuals. Of course, individual errors in football can make a difference and you take responsibility for it but it is always about the team.”

Ten Hag did not single out Onana and a question about his possible lack of focus was batted away. Ten Hag preferred to dwell on the ‘extraordinary’ Hakim Ziyech, his former charge at Ajax and of interest to United in the summer of 2022.

If Onana was a cat, he would be running out of lives. The Reds are still in the Champions League yet Onana epitomises their chaotic group campaign of 12 goals scored and 14 conceded.

He sparked collapses against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray in Manchester while he was blameworthy for all three of their goals in Istanbul. Onana’s near post was so open for Kerem Akturkoglu’s equaliser that it was tantamount to a batsman not guarding their wicket.

The stars could still align. If United beat Bayern in a fortnight and Galatasaray draw with Copenhagen then Onana’s sudden-death penalty denial of Jordan Larsson in their win against the Danish champions will gain greater consequence.