Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim made a bold move as he dropped goalkeeper Andre Onana from his team for Sunday’s Premier League match at Newcastle and now he faces another big call on whether he should recall him for Thursday night’s crucial Europa League tie against Lyon.
Onana’s error-strewn display was a major factor in United’s 2-2 draw against their French opponents in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
Amorim then shone a light on Onana’s precarious position by leaving him out of his team for the trip to Newcastle, suggesting he needed to take him out of the firing line.
The Cameroon international, who had made headlines in the build-up to the Lyon match when he described United as “way better” than the Ligue 1 outfit, was left out of the squad for the St James’ Park clash, with Altay Bayindir drafted in for a game United lost 4-1.
Deciding on what comes next for Onana could be crucial to Amorim’s hopes of saving United’s increasingly desperate season, after he explained his reason to take Onana out of the firing line.
“Sometimes you have to push the player to play again, sometimes you have to let them disconnect a little bit, but (on Monday) he is going to be in training to prepare for the next one. I felt it was a good time for Andre to disconnect,” said Amorim as he explained his reasoning for dropping his keeper.
“I think he was OK because I explained and then you don’t need to like, but you understand because I explain every situation.
“So it was a normal situation. You have to manage everything and sometimes people just look at the physical aspect, but the mental aspect is really, really important. It is just one game.”
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The heavy defeat for Amorim’s side at Newcastle did not suggest Bayindir is ready to take over as United’s permanent No 1, yet former United defender Wes Brown that Onana should be recalled for the make-or-break match against Lyon.
Speaking exclusively to Football365 with AOS, Brown backed the Cameroon keeper to silence his doubters if he gets a recall to the United line-up.
“I think you have to bring Onana back,” said Brown, who won five Premier League titles and two Champions League titles in his time working under manager Sir Alex Ferguson at United. “Onana is the more experienced keeper and even though the mistakes in the first leg against Lyon were disappointing, as a football you have to be able to put that right.
“It’s going to be tough mentally for him, but he can do it. He’s had some great games this season and he needs another one on Thursday.”
Brown went on to challenge the United players to prove they can silence their doubters when they take on Lyon at Old Trafford, where some of their most disappointing performances have been served up this season.
“There is a lot of pressure on all the United players in this game and it’s just a question of whether they can handle it,” he added.
“I went to the first game in Lyon and they looked a lot like United. They had their spells when they looked good and we had ours. It’s going to come down to who makes the most of their chances when they have their moment.
“It looks like a very even match, but United are at home and they know the season is pretty much done if they lose this match. This is another chance for these players and they have to take it.
“It’s been a really bad season on so many levels. The only positive is we are still in the Europa League, that is our only hope this season.
“All of us have high expectations around United are always going to be very high and they are just not hitting anywhere near the levels that are needed.
“The standard at Manchester United is you need to be challenging for trophies. That means the Premier League, the cups and even if you don’t win everything, you are expected to be a team that’s there and challenging.
“They have this one last chance in the Europa League and you have to believe they will perform when it matters most.”
