Andre Onana makes brutally honest admission over tough start to life at Man Utd

Andre Onana made a series of errors during his early months at Man United (Image: Getty Images)

After taking David de Gea’s spot as Manchester United’s starting goalkeeper, Andre Onana struggled, but the Cameroonian star is grateful for his teammates’ support of him.

Andre Onana talked candidly about the challenging beginning to his Manchester United career, calling it one of his hardest periods to date.

After replacing David De Gea at United with a £47 million summer transfer from Inter Milan, Onana made a number of high-profile and expensive errors in the opening weeks of the campaign. The Cameroon international conceded a soft goal against Brentford and committed major errors in the Champions League matches against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.

The decision by Erik ten Hag to sign Onana was questioned, especially in light of the fact that Onana had betrayed him despite being recruited primarily for his renowned foot distribution skills.

However, following a difficult beginning, the 27-year-old has become more comfortable at United and has shown greater assurance in goal, making a number of outstanding saves in recent months. His passing range has also increased.

Onana did, however, acknowledge the difficult start he had and gave thanks to Ten Hag, the United coaching staff, and his teammates for believing in him even when he was at the bottom.

“It was a challenging period for me,” Onana remarked. I’m feeling a little better now. I’m already aware of the goalie that I am, but it took me six or seven months to feel good rather than play well.

It was not too difficult for me to adjust when I moved to Milan from Amsterdam. However, I was here for seven or eight months. Time to brush up on the basics and go game by game.

“Everything was unfamiliar, and I struggled to feel at home in a foreign country for a variety of reasons. It lasted for a short while. Sometimes you’re in a tough situation and you’re just not feeling good or performing well because you didn’t think you started out well.

Andre Onana has struggled at times since joining Manchester United ( Image: PA)

All in all, it was an odd experience, but I learned a lot from it. since at the time I gained a lot of knowledge.

“I learned a lot from playing for Inter in the Champions League final and losing in the first round a few months later. I try to be happy, move on, learn from it, and feel like I have everything on my back right now. That is the most crucial factor.

Ten Hag supported his former Ajax goalie despite calls to bench Onana, and United’s players united behind their new colleague.

“My teammates consistently reminded me of my identity as a goalie and the reason I joined this team,” Onana remarked. “Andre, some players took two years, some took six months, and some took no time at all,” they informed me. You possess the kind of personality that can make things better.

Andre Onana was impressive against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup ( Image: Getty Images)

“They always had faith in me and told me right away that I had the potential—it was just a matter of time. Everything is behind me now, so we must move on and look forward to a wonderful future together.

Even though United’s five-game winning streak and perfect start to 2024 were ended by a loss to Fulham last weekend, Onana is optimistic going into tomorrow’s derby, despite the absence of several key players due to injury.

“Despite our numerous injuries, we intend to win,” Onana declared. It’s not an excuse, but this season was really eventful and challenging for us at times.

However, you have to win to be a player for United, so we’re all accountable for what transpired. I have faith in my players, I know we are good, and I know that things will get better.