MANCHESTER United manager Erik ten Hag has told goalkeeper Andre Onana to improve after a poor start to his journey at Old Trafford.
The Cameroon goalkeeper joined the Red Devils in the summer from Inter Milan for a princely €52 million fee but has committed several errors as the side struggle in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, conceding 19 goals in only games.
Manchester United face Sheffield United tonight in the Premier League at Bramall Lane and Onana will be under the spotlight again, two weeks after his howler gifted Brentford the opening goal at Old Trafford before a late Scott McTominay double rescued the Red Devils.
“He knows [he’s not been good enough], we know, he will do much better. As with every player who’s coming into the Premier League, you need an integration period but he has to step up,” Ten Hag said during his pre-match press conference yesterday.
“Big United keepers like Peter Schmeichel and David De Gea started [slowly] and Andre knows that it is good to know a little bit from history.”
Onana, 27, arrived at United with a big reputation having had a solid career in which he had success at Ajax for several seasons and at Inter Milan, where in his only season he was instrumental in their run to the UEFA Champions League final.
Ten Hag believes the goalkeeper will get back to the levels he displayed at those clubs.
“We live now, we live in the future and he has to make his future by giving better performances,” the Dutchman added.
“I’m sure he will do. He showed it at Barcelona, Ajax, Inter Milan, he was in the semi-final and the final of the Champions League, I’m sure he will give a great performance.”
United were heading to an unprecedented fourth straight home defeat in all competitions two weeks ago before substitute McTominay scored scored twice in added time to secure that 2-1 win over Brentford.
When asked if his side could use that turnaround to ‘restart’ their campaign, Ten Hag said: “You can’t restart, but there is a strong dressing room. They are aligned, determined and willing to win games.
“That is what we have seen. In the end, we beat them and physically we were very strong, mentally, we kept going and were very strong.”
