Man United: Onana disastrous against Grimsby Town, Ruben Amorim comes to his defense | OneFootball

André Onana

Making his first start of the season against Grimsby Town (a fourth-division club) in the League Cup, André Onana delivered a major letdown on Wednesday night. Still, he can count on the support of his manager.

Defeated on penalties by Grimsby Town in the League Cup (2-2, 12-11 on penalties), the Red Devils have added yet another dark chapter to their already disastrous start to the season. While the collapse was collective, it’s André Onana who has taken the brunt of the criticism.

The Cameroonian goalkeeper, expected to be a calming presence in the United goal, once again came up short. For the opener, he was beaten at his near post—a technical blunder that’s hard to forgive at this level. Worse still, he misjudged a corner, gifting Tyrell Warren, a former United academy player, the second goal on a silver platter. Two fatal errors that weighed heavily in what became an elimination widely viewed as a humiliation.

Regardless, Ruben Amorim could only defend his player after the elimination. “Goalkeeper problem? When you lose to a fourth-division side, it’s not just about the keeper—it’s the whole team. If we were performing at a high level, André would only have to use his feet. I saw Onana’s mistakes, but at the same time, I also saw a Manchester team that was extremely weak across the board—no control in the play and in total panic at every burst from a fourth-division side. The coach is right: it’s a true collective disaster, and you can’t pin it on just one player.” said the Portuguese manager.