‘If you can’t, the job is not for you,’ says ex-Man Utd keeper as he gives Andre Onana advice on handling pressure
ANDRE ONANA has been offered some words of wisdom on dealing with the pressures of being a goalkeeper at Manchester United.
Former Red Devils shot-stopper Anders Lindegaard bluntly explained the demands of the job after Man Utd’s Legends fell to former Celtic stars on Saturday.
Lindegaard was overjoyed to be back at Old Trafford as he shared goalkeeping duties with Kevin Pilkington, Raimond van der Gouw in the Legends match.
After Wayne Rooney’s sublime 25-yard free-kick, Celtic equalised through Gary Hooper and would go onto win 4-3 on penalties.
After the charity game, Lindegaard said: “Onana has come back from a difficult start and now he is doing a lot better.
“But there’s no magic formula to overcome that pressure. That is the job. The job is to handle that pressure.
“If you can’t do it, or you won’t do it, the job is not for you.”
The 40-year-old former Denmark international officially joined the Red Devils in January 2011 before leaving in the summer of 2015.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Onana as he has already conceded five goals this season after Man Utd’s dismal 3-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool last Sunday.
The Cameroonian stopper, who has a reputation for the odd howler, again got his footing all wrong for Mo Salah’s goal on the weekend.
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Gary Neville once said: “Being the Man Utd keeper was the most difficult job in English football.”
The Sky Sports pundit was referencing the magnifying glass placed on every single United goalkeeper since the Premier League began.
After arriving for £47m last summer, Onana has been subject to a mixed reaction from fans, after several embarrassing blunders in the Champions League group stage saw United drop out early last season.
He let the ball slip through his gloves against Bayern Munich, often passed the ball to opponents near is own box, and let Hakim Ziyech’s free-kick in against Galatasaray to concede 15 goals in six European games.
Onana improved somewhat throughout the season, but still seems slow to react to low shots, after saying he is prepared to take more “risks” .
And the spot-light is growing after Man Utd finished a record low eighth last term, and had a minus one goal difference.
Erik ten Hag brought Onana in to replace David de Gea, who was out of his £375,000-per-week contract.
The Spaniard said goodbye to Old Trafford after 12 years behind the sticks and has since joined Serie A side Fiorentina on a one-year-deal.
De Gea was adorned by United fans for the majority of his time there, picking up the club’s Player of the Year on four occasions.
But the 33-year-old fell victim to the same pressure Onana’s now facing, after a few clangers of his own in his later years.
Nine managers Man Utd considered before keeping Erik ten Hag
ERIK TEN HAG appears to be safe as Man Utd manager, but the Dutchman edged dangerously close to the sack.
Here are nine managers Red Devils chiefs are reported to have considered for the job and what allegedly happened with each.
Gareth Southgate
Enjoys plenty of support among Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos chiefs but made clear he wouldn’t talk to any clubs until after Euro 2024. There is yet to be any suggestion that contact was made with the England boss.
Kieran McKenna
Talks were opened with McKenna’s representatives before the FA Cup final, but the former Man Utd coach opted to sign a new deal with Ipswich after Ten Hag’s Wembley win.
Roberto De Zerbi
Allegedly sounded out before the FA Cup final with salary expectations discussed. But Ineos chiefs concluded ex-Brighton boss was not the right fit for the project.
Thomas Frank
Brentford boss met Man Utd representatives the day before the FA Cup final. The Dane also dined with Ratcliffe, Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard at the launch of a new Ineos car in February.
Marco Silva
Fulham boss reportedly met Man Utd representatives face-to-face two days before the FA Cup final, around the same time as Ten Hag was conducting his press conference.
Mauricio Pochettino
Fell out of Man Utd’s thinking in the first week of June, despite being a favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Thomas Tuchel
Made a very strong impression and came across well during a Monaco meeting. Personal terms were discussed before the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss decided to step back from the process.
Ruben Amorim
Sporting boss was discussed by the Man Utd hierarchy but did not make the final reckoning.
Roberto Martinez
Portugal manager was considered in the early stages.