"I think" - Former Man United ace has his say on Amorim's bold Onana call ahead of Lyon rematch
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has backed Ruben Amorim’s decision to axe Andre Onana from the squad after his midweek exploits.
Onana was left out of the United squad that suffered a humiliating 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
Foster believes the move was necessary after Onana’s howler in the Europa League quarter-final first-leg draw against Olympique Lyon.
The Cameroon international has been under the spotlight a lot this season, more often than not, for the wrong reasons.
However, his awful performance in the 2-2 draw appeared to be the final straw.
Onana made two schoolboy errors that thwarted United’s hopes of leaving France with the psychological boost of a first-leg win.
That performance left many questioning his long-term future at the club, and it also cost him his place in the starting XI.
Amorim opted to deploy Altay Bayindir between the sticks against Newcastle but was offered no respite by the Turkish keeper, who gave the ball away cheaply for the Magpies’ fourth goal.
While Bayindir quickly dismissed any notion that he could be a temporary fix for United’s leaky backline, Foster believes Amorim’s call on Onana was justified.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Foster said, “I just think it is a really hard position to play goalkeeper for Manchester United.
“I think Onana, it’s been quite clear this season, he’s made quite a few big mistakes, the two that he made in Europe in the week were horrible.
“I think his confidence is shot, so I think the manager was probably right in doing what he did.”
Foster also expressed sympathy for Onana and acknowledged the pressure on his shoulders.
Having played just 23 times for United despite spending five years on the club’s books, Foster knows a thing or two about the demands of being a Red Devils keeper.
“It’s a horrible place to be [being left out], and I’ve been in it so many times throughout my career,” Foster added.
“If you can go into games with big confidence, positivity, knowing that you’re going to help your team out, then you’re on a great setting to start the game.
“But when you’re thinking negatively and pessimistically, it’s a really bad place to be. But I think Onana has been a little bit like that all season really.
“I see some of the mistakes that he’s made and some of the saves that he makes. He seems to me like he’s a little bit stressed when it comes to the big moments.”
Onana may have been dropped for the Newcastle clash, but he could be back in goal for the tie decider against Lyon, with Bayindir failing to prove he can be a breath of fresh air.
United are still hoping to end their worst-ever campaign in the club’s history on a high.
Needless to say, failure to get past Lyon will be a massive disaster, although it would be far from surprising given the club’s current form.
Article written by onyekachiuwanabi .