Manchester United have been told by a former Red Devils defender that they must replace Andre Onana if they want to be a top team again.
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Goalkeeper heavily criticised last yearParker called Onana 'an outfield player in goal'He claims Cameroonian creates uncertainty for team-matesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Onana has been a big disappointment for United since his £47m ($63m) move from Inter in 2023, making a number of high profile errors in his first and second seasons. The frequency of his errors has led to suggestions that coach Ruben Amorim would like a different goalkeeper next season and former United defender Paul Parker has urged the Portuguese to make a change.
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Parker, speaking exclusively to Goal.com via Betsson, the home of odds, said: "I have to say that they do need a new goalkeeper. If they’re going to move forward next season, they need players, fans and everyone to be confident in one of the most important players on the pitch; the goalkeeper. Top sides always have a top goalkeeper that they are assured with, and Onana is not that goalkeeper. I can’t see how he’s going to cover up what he did last season, and I just really don’t believe that he can. If I don’t believe as someone watching, I worry what the players in the team are thinking. If you don’t believe in your goalkeeper and you’ve got that fear factor, it will cost you."
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Onana made two slip ups in the Europa League quarter-final first leg with Lyon, a day after being told by Nemanja Matic that he was "one of the worst goalkeepers in the history of Manchester United". He also made costly mistakes in United's defeats by Brighton & Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest and Wolves and Parker believes his defenders no longer trust him. "I believe they are there [not trusting him] and that is how it went last season – you didn’t know what was going to happen next, what he was going to do."
DID YOU KNOW?
Parker believes Onana lacks basic goalkeeping qualities and focuses too much on playing out from the back with his feet. He added: "All you want a goalkeeper to do is save the ball. I don’t want a keeper with great feet, and if you’ve got great feet, go be an outfield player. Focus on just stopping as many shots as possible. And if Onana’s saving shots, don’t just throw it back out to people’s feet. I question if he was born a goalkeeper. I think he was an outfield player that has gone in goal. He wasn’t a goalkeeper from day one. The only thing he really hasn’t done, is become a goalkeeper. I don’t care what he did at Ajax or Inter; he’s not good enough to play at Manchester United."
