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Andre Onana has been topped Manchester United’s Participant of the Month for March after a sequence of spectacular performances in an in any other case disappointing interval for his facet.
Main the best way in March ⭐️
You might have voted @AndreyOnana as our newest Participant of the Month — congratulations, Andre! 👏#MUFC pic.twitter.com/2bWCNmd3x9
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 4, 2024
United performed 4 video games final month, leading to two wins, a draw and a loss. Whereas this doesn’t essentially look like a poor run of type, the outcomes masks some very poor performances.
Erik ten Hag’s crew started March with an abysmal show on the Etihad towards Manchester Metropolis. A 3-1 loss flattered United ultimately as their native rivals dominated from begin to end. If not for the efforts of Onana the rating line might have learn one thing way more embarrassing.
United have been in a position to rally every week later as they hosted Everton at Outdated Trafford. A removed from convincing, however spirited, efficiency produced a 2-0 win with Onana as soon as once more very important to holding the opposition assault at bay.
An FA Cup quarter-final towards Liverpool adopted the subsequent week, with a pulsating 4-3 win within the closing minutes of extra-time delivering an prompt folklore traditional win over United’s most bitter rivals. Whereas Onana was largely good on this sport, this was most likely his weakest efficiency with the Cameroonian prone to be sad together with his efforts for a number of of Liverpool targets.
March was then completed off with a visit to the Gtech Neighborhood Stadium to play Brentford final Saturday.
What adopted was one of many worst performances a United crew has produced in current reminiscence, which is absolutely saying one thing. Although the match inexplicably completed 1-1, Brentford ought to have received by 4 or 5 targets with ease. They hit the woodwork 4 occasions and created a lot of guilt-edged probabilities, with Onana’s aim topic to assault after assault.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper was the solely United participant who might go away the pitch final weekend together with his head held excessive. If not for his heroics, Ten Hag would probably have been on the receiving finish of considered one of his worst leads to his two seasons on the helm at United.
The award was, subsequently, as justified because it was straightforward to determine. It additionally constitutes one thing of a landmark second for the Cameroonian goalkeeper; a illustration of the turnaround he’s been in a position to produce in his debut 12 months in England, after a rocky begin to life at Outdated Trafford.
Whereas Onana’s type within the Premier League was by no means essentially poor, he did some have questionable moments within the first few months of the season. It was, nonetheless, the Champions League the place the goalkeeper was undeniably unhealthy, as he produced a sequence of ‘disasterclasses’ which successfully eradicated United from Europe, as they completed backside of a gaggle containing Galatasaray and FC Copehagen.
Onana obtained huge scrutiny for his errors in these European matches. The criticism was so vitriolic at occasions that United followers have been demanding Ten Hag drop his former pupil at Ajax, in favour of Altay Bayindir – signed for £4.3 million from Fenerbahçe in the summertime to be the crew’s quantity two.
Ten Hag refused to curtail to this strain, nonetheless, as an alternative being a relentless supply of help for his primary (technically quantity 24) and taking part in him by this drop in type; and it’s a choice which has aged just like the best of wines.
Onana has been glorious since United’s exit from the Champions League. Whereas in March he was his crew’s greatest participant by a rustic mile, he has been amongst the highest performers at Outdated Trafford for over 4 months. This type is made much more spectacular by the revolving door of a defence he has been taking part in in entrance of.
Onana is joint-second within the Premier League for clear sheets. He ranks fourth for PSxG-GA (post-shot anticipated targets minus targets allowed) – primarily what number of targets a goalkeeper ought to have conceded and what number of they did, with a optimistic rating that means they’ve defender their aim effectively – with +4.5 (Tottenham Hotspur’s Guillermo Vicario is primary with +6.2). And he has the third greatest save proportion within the league, regardless of the overwhelming variety of photographs United face on a weekly foundation.
T🚫P ST🚫P
👏 @AndreyOnana#MUFC || #PL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 27, 2024
In brief, outdoors of his European nightmare, Onana has been glorious domestically, regardless of United’s struggles out and in of possession this season not lending themselves to the Cameroonian’s skillset. If his crew mates enhance on and off the ball subsequent 12 months, count on Onana to supply even stronger performances together with them.
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