Manchester United faces a goalkeeping dilemma as they prepare for the Manchester derby. Recent signings and potential loan deals have created uncertainty around the starting position. Former players emphasize the mental fortitude required to succeed as Manchester United’s goalkeeper, and the importance of support, due to the high-pressure environment.
The weight of the Manchester United goalkeeper's jersey is currently immense, a sentiment echoed by Ruben Amorim just before the international break. His words highlight a situation that will undoubtedly dominate discussions at Carrington this week as the Red Devils prepare for the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Adding to the intrigue, United recently invested £18 million in Senne Lammens, a promising but relatively unproven 23-year-old from Royal Antwerp, rather than pursuing Aston Villa's experienced World Cup winner, Emiliano Martinez. Furthermore, reports suggest that United are nearing a loan agreement with Trabzonspor for Andre Onana, who arrived at Old Trafford for £47 million from Inter Milan just two years ago.
This series of events leaves Amorim with a challenging decision: continue with Altay Bayindir, the Turkish international who has started all three Premier League games this season but has been prone to costly errors, or thrust the untested Lammens into the intense environment of a Manchester derby. The pressure is amplified by the knowledge that any mistake will be magnified and scrutinized relentlessly.
Many question Andre Onana's performance, but Edwin van der Sar, the former Ajax CEO, who observed Onana for three years defends him. Widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in history, Van der Sar was excited about Onana's move to United and backed him after his first season.
Onana reflected on his experiences at United, saying, "I arrived as the best goalkeeper in the world, and then it went down." Sources say he was hired for his short passing ability, but then had to play long balls. His Old Trafford debut against Lens, where he was chipped from 50 yards after playing a short pass to Diogo Dalot, changed the tactics and caused supporters to lose faith in him.
Despite this, Ten Hag and Amorim continued to choose him. Nemanja Matic, a former United midfielder and close friend of De Gea, criticized Onana's performance before a Europa League match against Lyon, calling him "one of the worst goalkeepers in the club's history". Onana made two mistakes in the first leg, which ended 2-2.
Bayindir replaced Amorim for the next game against Newcastle. Although Onana started both legs of the Europa League semi-final and the final, Ten Hag's decision to delay his call-up to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024, and Bayindir's start in the final league game, suggest that the team's faith in him was dwindling. Onana's only appearance was in the Carabao Cup defeat at League Two Grimsby, where he was blamed for their second goal.
Manchester United's explanation for choosing Lammens over Martinez on transfer deadline day is that they wanted someone who will play a central role in their team in three or four years' time, when they hope to be challenging for major honours again.
Phil Jones, who played 229 games in 12 seasons, mostly in defence, believes that United's goalkeeper needs "rhino skin". He explained that "The Manchester United shirt is a heavy one to wear" and emphasizes the importance of calm goalkeepers that can handle difficult situations. Citing De Gea, Jones said, "When I say rhino skin, he had it. He almost had this ability not to care. He was quite blase about the errors he made, even in training sometimes. But when you needed him he was there."
De Gea, Van der Sar, and Peter Schmeichel are considered to be the greatest goalkeepers for United in modern times. Other goalkeepers such as Mark Bosnich, Raimond van der Gouw, Fabian Barthez and Roy Carroll all helped the club win Premier League titles.
Roy Carroll stated, "It's not easy playing for Manchester United at the moment, but it was hard back then because everyone was expecting the new Peter Schmeichel...Even then, if you made a mistake, it was big news. You had to be mentally strong and that is still the case."
Carroll is wary of pushing the mental toughness message too far because he knows repeating the message and adopting it are very different and talks openly about the depression, which is why he talks about off-field support, not just for United goalkeepers.
"You can be the best keeper in the world but, once you lose the mental side of it, it can break you, like it did with me for quite a while...That's why I try help the young goalkeepers because the pressure now is a lot more intense."