During the defeat to Borussia Dortmund, Andre Onana, the high-profile £47 million signing from Inter Milan, made his second appearance as Manchester United’s goalkeeper at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Onana was substituted in at half-time, replacing Tom Heaton. Shortly after entering the match, he was observed expressing his frustration towards former captain Harry Maguire in an intense manner.
Andre Onana on that incident with Maguire.
Spoken like a leader here. 👏🏻pic.twitter.com/iVJ1RB8zeS
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) July 31, 2023
During the match against Borussia Dortmund, Harry Maguire’s pass to Christian Eriksen put the latter under pressure, leading to a turnover of possession. Dortmund capitalized on the situation, and Sebastian Haller found himself in a shooting position.
Andre Onana, displaying his exceptional shot-stopping abilities, made the save, and the resulting rebound was put wide by Karim Adeyemi. However, before taking the goal kick, the passionate Cameroonian goalkeeper rushed out of his goal and vocally expressed his frustration towards Maguire, who appeared somewhat embarrassed.
This passionate outburst quickly became a major talking point online, with some drawing comparisons to the antics of Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, known for his vocal and commanding presence on the field. Onana’s passionate display has certainly captured the attention and imagination of fans and pundits alike.
Former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor was critical of Onana’s antics and said he “didn’t like it”.
But Onana himself has played down the rant and claims it was merely result of demanding a lot from his teammates.
He also stressed he has a “good relationship” with Maguire, who he called a “top guy and a fantastic player”.
‘’I try to talk to them a lot because I know he’s a good player, he is one of the captains of the the team,” Onana toldManchester United’s official website.
‘’That’s big and he is good with the ball, so I would demand [from] him a lot and he’s a good, great guy. I have a good relationship with him. I have to be and he has to be ready and I spoke with him because when I’m in the goal, I demand to everyone a lot.
‘’I will start with myself because I think we are in this together and mistakes will come. “We don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes because this is part of life and we learn from the mistakes.
‘’So we have to be very critical with ourselves. And if we want to win prizes, we have to demand a lot. And for me, it’s a big honour to be here and I’m very happy to work with these guys, Harry is a top guy and a fantastic player. We will move on.’’
Indeed, Andre Onana impressed fans with a remarkable display in the dying moments of the game.
With virtually the last kick of the match, he delivered an impressive pass, precisely finding Marcus Rashford’s foot down the left flank.
This display of skill and accuracy further highlighted the reasons behind Erik ten Hag’s decision to bring him to Manchester United.
As the team gears up for the weekend, they face a challenging schedule with two games in two days.
They will be hosting RC Lens on Saturday, 5th August, and then playing against Athletic Club at the Aviva Stadium a day later.
The packed fixture list will test their stamina and teamwork, making Onana’s contributions all the more crucial.