Addressing Manchester United’s Goalkeeping Challenges: Amorim’s Top Priority

On Sunday afternoon, a classic encounter unfolded in the Premier League as Manchester United made their way to the northeast to face a Newcastle side lacking their manager, Eddie Howe, who had recently been hospitalised.

The Magpies were eager to secure their first league double against the Red Devils since the 1930/31 season. However, United had maintained an impressive record, not losing in three successive league visits to St. James’ Park since the late 1960s.

Ruben Amorim would certainly have been mindful that a Newcastle victory would mark the fourth time this season that a team has accomplished a league double over his side — the most different teams to manage this in a single top-flight campaign since the 1957/58 season (4).

Averaging 1.15 points-per-game in the Premier League, Amorim’s record is just ahead of United’s inaugural manager AH Albut (0.73) — in charge from 1889 to 1900 — and Scott Duncan (1.00) — who managed from 1932 to 1937, provided that 20 or more games are played in a season.

In Bruno Fernandes, United possess a player who has created more chances than anyone else in the Premier League this term (75). Remarkably, this marks the fifth occasion he has surpassed 75 chances in a single season, with only Kevin De Bruyne (seven times since 2003/04) achieving this feat more.

Clearly, hope springs eternal in United’s ranks with Bruno in their line-up.

Ruben Amorim stands firm despite immense pressure following decisive Onana decision

Even though the stakes were primarily about pride for United in this match, Amorim made a significant pre-match decision by benching the error-prone goalkeeper, Andre Onana.

“You have to consider the context,” said Amorim prior to the game. “It’s quite normal. At times, you need to give the player a little push to perform again, and other times you need to allow them to disconnect.”

“He will train to prepare for the next game against Lyon; I thought it was an opportune moment for Andre to take a break. I believe he understood (the decision) because I explained, and while you might not agree with it, you can comprehend it because I clarify every situation.”

This underscores that the manager will not be intimidated by pressure and will stick to his approach.

Whether this will be enough to secure his position beyond this season will only be revealed following the final match of the campaign.

Onana, acquired by former manager Erik ten Hag, has yet to fully impress during his time at Old Trafford. Numerous mistakes throughout his 94 appearances for the club have left many supporters questioning why former keeper David de Gea was seemingly pushed out the door.

Statistics indicate David de Gea was on par with his successor Onana

Since the 2021/22 season, both have made an equal number of saves (310), with De Gea saving slightly more from inside the box (200) than Onana (191). De Gea has also excelled with 14 catches to Onana’s 12, while Onana leads with 33 punches compared to De Gea’s 27, and has only dropped nine balls compared to De Gea’s two.

In terms of penalty saves, De Gea has stopped three against Onana’s two, and with an equal number of 30 keeper sweeps, De Gea has one more successful sweep than Onana, even when considering precise sweeps.

De Gea’s 427 successful goal kicks also compare favourably against Onana’s 224, and excluding own goals, Onana has conceded 137 goals since joining, while De Gea let in 121 from the 2021/22 season until his departure.

Thus, there’s little to separate either keeper, meaning if it was deemed De Gea’s best days were behind him, United made a mistake in recruiting a replacement who hasn’t markedly improved their situation.

Is Altay Bayindir the solution or should United seek alternatives?

Against Newcastle, Altay Bayindir had the chance to assert his claim for a regular starting spot but unfortunately contributed to United’s 4-1 loss with a blunder, which certainly won’t have endeared him to the manager.

One could argue that, compared to Onana, he has lacked the chance to develop a rhythm typically required for a player to perform their best.

With only eight matches played in two seasons — Bayindir’s appearance against Newcastle marked his first in the Premier League for United — it is insufficient to properly assess whether the 27-year-old Turkish international should inherit the number one role at the club.

With a 67.4% success rate from just 29 saves, this cannot fairly be compared to Onana’s 68.7% or De Gea’s 70.7%.

Overall, it’s a significant predicament for the Red Devils. While some may suggest a comprehensive overhaul of the squad is necessary, it might not be the most prudent course of action at this juncture.

However, addressing the goalkeeping situation this summer is crucial, and whether it’s Amorim or a potential successor, this needs to be a priority.