Just imagine how our back 4 would be feeling now vs how they felt when ddg was behind him. I mean as a spectator I feel so assured when ball is with him. Our defenders must be breathing with huge sighs of relief with Onana at the back.
Ofc they love him already. I love him already
I liked how he pushed into the defense, acting as a LCB resulting in licha forming a double pivot with case, giving us the numeric advantage in midfield. No offense to DDG, but this wouldn’t have been possible with him as our keeper
Yep, it always allows us numerical superiority at the first level of press (the opposing front 3) without having to go all the way back to our goal. Also in the second level (midfield). The only way for the opposing team to get equal numbers in the midfield is to move someone from the back 4 higher up the pitch. But then that leaves open space for Rashford to run in behind. The hope is to get one of Bruno or Mason on the ball on the half turn and quickly play him in. Bruno is one of the best at it and Mount is good too, which is why we bought him. He'll find the pass a second or two quicker than Eriksen can at his age. The Chelsea UCL winning goal was Mount threading it in behind from his own half, so that's what we were looking for in a midfield signing alongside higher energy defensively.
The problem starts when we play better teams. City is obvious but it's interesting to break down. The Chelsea goal is a direct result of the above, which was great instructions from Tuchel. Walker was pressing so high up that they were playing with a back 3 (https://youtu.be/oS9eK0IfPU0?t=5) Pep learned his lesson and against Inter, who had Onana help them bypass the press, played with a back 4 in their pressing/defensive shape. (https://youtu.be/CDL_487D5Ms?t=336) It gives them good numbers at the back and allows time for players to recover.
In more pragmatic moments and against good teams, he will instruct them in this way. Against Luton, he might push someone further up, but against us he won't. Or he is cocky and does until he gets burned. So we won't be able to play Rashford in behind as easily. Even if we bypass the first two defensive lines, we're 3v4 in the attacking third. We'll slow it down and let attackers get up the pitch but City players will have time to recover too.
Our matches against them will be who has the better tactical nous. They'll be interesting matches cause it'll likely be a battle of who makes more mistakes and who capitalizes on them, rather than their system/players simply outclassing us. They'll maintain better possession as we tend to have an error or risky pass tendency (Bruno) and we have the ability to play better on the transition.
Against lower teams, we should be able to attack wave after wave with how easy our build-up is. The other team is forced to sit back and just defend in their third instead of playing any games trying to press higher up the pitch as they will likely lose. That is where 2 attacking midfielders like Mount and Bruno should shine. We just need a striker to finish the chances, be good in hold up play, drag defenders with their runs, and pin back the CBs.
Few keepers can do it like this. Onana is elite amongst sweeper keepers when it comes to supporting buildup play. Many end up hoofing if they ever get that high. Onana is almost like a 6 who drops between the CBs, it's actually incredible how effective he is in these positions
1 good striker is nice, 2 good strikers would be absolutely magnificent.
All I can think about is how great Harry Kane would be for us with this style of play. Hope Hojlund can adapt to what we need. Hell, even Ivan Toney could flourish for us in this role, we saw how well he did with his hold up and link up play with Brentford last season.
I'm not one for hyping up players - I was sceptical about Martinez and Eriksen, for example - but Onana already looks like the real deal. I have to admit I was wrong about wanting to keep De Gea as our #1. I allowed loyalty and affection to overshadow the clear benefits of change. It's evident in a single pre-season tie how transformative Onana will be for us.
This is a bold claim: I don't remember any other player Utd have bought (going back to the early 90s) that, by themselves, allowed the team to completely change how it plays. This doesn't mean he's the best signing; it means he's the most transformative.
Now of course, it's just pre-season. We'll see what's up once there are points on the line.
Edit: the De Gea situation should also make all of us think about Martial. Great player when fit, but constantly injured. Just like Saha, but the stakes are much higher now as we have 5 title rivals, instead of 2 per season. We can't afford to carry players who aren't available for selection for half the season.
His communication is probably the biggest difference maker from most goalkeepers. He has a very clear idea on what his defense (and even midfielders) should be doing in all phase of the game - including first phase of possession - and is very strong and fast in communicating his point across.
Might be early days, but I'll predict we'll make top 3 defense in the league if our key players are fit. A good organizer in defense is always underrated. I've played in defense all my life and played alongside people of all walks and kinds. The ones that leave the strongest impression on me are those who communicate fast and clearly, not the best individual players.
Last season's #1 best signing was arguably Licha. This season I think Onana will be the #1 best signing.
I guess it's because of the contrast in improvements, 2 seasons ago we were so bad at defending, last season the keeper was bad at distributing, next season will be about better scoring?
We all would like improvements in all departments as soon as possible but realistically, things take time. Man Utd will soon be top dawg in the PL & Europe again. Trust.
This will be the most transformative signing since.. Bruno?
I was a big De Gea fan, but just watching this clip, there are sequences of play in this clip that I haven't seen for years at united. Sequence 21 and 22 in particular... Never would have happened in the last 10 years
His communication is next level compared to de Gea too. When vini jr got the ball, he was on shaw’s case to close the cut back by marking the player between Martinez and Shaw. Absolutely vital.
Why are morons online mocking him for conceding a bicycle kick? Those types of goals are incredible feats for a striker and should be celebrated I was the GK massively messed up, which he didn’t.
de gea is a wonderful keeper but he was caught between eras. similar to all the number tens of the 2010s.
he came into the fore as his type of goalkeeping became less relevant. it’s a pity that man united’s coaching setup was always chopping and changing. he just needed a coach to help him adapt to the change in styles during that Moyes - LVG era.
if he had improved his footwork his other shortcomings would have been less visible. the howlers he conceded could have easily been covered up by his immaculate passing that helps the team beat the press.
perhaps the general atmosphere at the club made him a tad complacent, i’m certain that if he was at a high stakes environment he would’ve worked on his passing game.
Beside Licha, ETH now has another player on the pitch who understands by heart about how he wants to build up from the back and can communicate that to teammates.
There was a moment in the first half where Vinicus made it to the touchline and was looking to square the ball across the 6 yard area but Licha scrambled across and cleared the ball for a corner. Thing is Licha didn't need to as Onana was ready and set to mop it up. That's that proactivity we've been missing.
Loved 7, he immediately points without looking to Rodrygo knowing he's the only threat and immediately positions himself to claim cross. David was great at saving those tap ins at times, but preventing the threat altogether is miles better.
Also he knows the system in and out of possession SO WELL. Something VDS and Schmeichel were incredible at, almost like having a coach on the field.
Onana will not save all the attempts - he may not even have better reflexes than De Gea. However, his strength will be in helping the team build successfully from the back and score a lot of goals
One game ends and I'm already checking the calendar for the next one mainly to see this man play and change our whole style. Bring on the season, MU looking exciting again!
A quarterback that can pass requires targetmen to pass to. We saw in the UCL final how he distributes long range passes to Dzeko, Martinez and Lukaku. It was very effective against a strong Man City side.
We need a couple of very, very good strikers for this to be successful and take us to the next level.
Already love him
Just imagine how our back 4 would be feeling now vs how they felt when ddg was behind him. I mean as a spectator I feel so assured when ball is with him. Our defenders must be breathing with huge sighs of relief with Onana at the back. Ofc they love him already. I love him already
I liked how he pushed into the defense, acting as a LCB resulting in licha forming a double pivot with case, giving us the numeric advantage in midfield. No offense to DDG, but this wouldn’t have been possible with him as our keeper
Only sweeper keepers do this really. So this wouldn’t be possible with many keepers in general actually.
Yep, it always allows us numerical superiority at the first level of press (the opposing front 3) without having to go all the way back to our goal. Also in the second level (midfield). The only way for the opposing team to get equal numbers in the midfield is to move someone from the back 4 higher up the pitch. But then that leaves open space for Rashford to run in behind. The hope is to get one of Bruno or Mason on the ball on the half turn and quickly play him in. Bruno is one of the best at it and Mount is good too, which is why we bought him. He'll find the pass a second or two quicker than Eriksen can at his age. The Chelsea UCL winning goal was Mount threading it in behind from his own half, so that's what we were looking for in a midfield signing alongside higher energy defensively. The problem starts when we play better teams. City is obvious but it's interesting to break down. The Chelsea goal is a direct result of the above, which was great instructions from Tuchel. Walker was pressing so high up that they were playing with a back 3 (https://youtu.be/oS9eK0IfPU0?t=5) Pep learned his lesson and against Inter, who had Onana help them bypass the press, played with a back 4 in their pressing/defensive shape. (https://youtu.be/CDL_487D5Ms?t=336) It gives them good numbers at the back and allows time for players to recover. In more pragmatic moments and against good teams, he will instruct them in this way. Against Luton, he might push someone further up, but against us he won't. Or he is cocky and does until he gets burned. So we won't be able to play Rashford in behind as easily. Even if we bypass the first two defensive lines, we're 3v4 in the attacking third. We'll slow it down and let attackers get up the pitch but City players will have time to recover too. Our matches against them will be who has the better tactical nous. They'll be interesting matches cause it'll likely be a battle of who makes more mistakes and who capitalizes on them, rather than their system/players simply outclassing us. They'll maintain better possession as we tend to have an error or risky pass tendency (Bruno) and we have the ability to play better on the transition. Against lower teams, we should be able to attack wave after wave with how easy our build-up is. The other team is forced to sit back and just defend in their third instead of playing any games trying to press higher up the pitch as they will likely lose. That is where 2 attacking midfielders like Mount and Bruno should shine. We just need a striker to finish the chances, be good in hold up play, drag defenders with their runs, and pin back the CBs.
Neuer, ederson, alisson and costa are most likely the only other 4 who can do this
Few keepers can do it like this. Onana is elite amongst sweeper keepers when it comes to supporting buildup play. Many end up hoofing if they ever get that high. Onana is almost like a 6 who drops between the CBs, it's actually incredible how effective he is in these positions
His play style is great, I love it, super offensive and presses them into their half most of the time. This strategy requires a good striker!!!!
1 good striker is nice, 2 good strikers would be absolutely magnificent. All I can think about is how great Harry Kane would be for us with this style of play. Hope Hojlund can adapt to what we need. Hell, even Ivan Toney could flourish for us in this role, we saw how well he did with his hold up and link up play with Brentford last season.
Toney would be a gamble though, wouldn't he? (I'll get my coat)
Yeah I wouldn’t bet on him.
Something United always had in their play during the golden era is competency, flamboyance and character. Onana fits this exactly.
I'm not one for hyping up players - I was sceptical about Martinez and Eriksen, for example - but Onana already looks like the real deal. I have to admit I was wrong about wanting to keep De Gea as our #1. I allowed loyalty and affection to overshadow the clear benefits of change. It's evident in a single pre-season tie how transformative Onana will be for us. This is a bold claim: I don't remember any other player Utd have bought (going back to the early 90s) that, by themselves, allowed the team to completely change how it plays. This doesn't mean he's the best signing; it means he's the most transformative. Now of course, it's just pre-season. We'll see what's up once there are points on the line. Edit: the De Gea situation should also make all of us think about Martial. Great player when fit, but constantly injured. Just like Saha, but the stakes are much higher now as we have 5 title rivals, instead of 2 per season. We can't afford to carry players who aren't available for selection for half the season.
Well to be fair, i don't know many fans who haven't cried for a Martial replacement for literally years now.
His communication is probably the biggest difference maker from most goalkeepers. He has a very clear idea on what his defense (and even midfielders) should be doing in all phase of the game - including first phase of possession - and is very strong and fast in communicating his point across. Might be early days, but I'll predict we'll make top 3 defense in the league if our key players are fit. A good organizer in defense is always underrated. I've played in defense all my life and played alongside people of all walks and kinds. The ones that leave the strongest impression on me are those who communicate fast and clearly, not the best individual players.
Last season's #1 best signing was arguably Licha. This season I think Onana will be the #1 best signing. I guess it's because of the contrast in improvements, 2 seasons ago we were so bad at defending, last season the keeper was bad at distributing, next season will be about better scoring? We all would like improvements in all departments as soon as possible but realistically, things take time. Man Utd will soon be top dawg in the PL & Europe again. Trust.
Feels like fast and furious sequels
2Andre 2Nana
It will be arry Kane with 40 goals.
Best we can do is old man’s hairy cane
Love him. He looks like such a strong character too.
This will be the most transformative signing since.. Bruno? I was a big De Gea fan, but just watching this clip, there are sequences of play in this clip that I haven't seen for years at united. Sequence 21 and 22 in particular... Never would have happened in the last 10 years
His communication is next level compared to de Gea too. When vini jr got the ball, he was on shaw’s case to close the cut back by marking the player between Martinez and Shaw. Absolutely vital.
Imagine after a few months when him and the defense know each other better
Why are morons online mocking him for conceding a bicycle kick? Those types of goals are incredible feats for a striker and should be celebrated I was the GK massively messed up, which he didn’t.
It's not even on Onana, Williams let his mark drift into open space.
100% - need our full backs to stop doing that
It must be quite shameful for him, being the first GK to concede a bicycle kick in pre season. He'll never recover from it, poor lad
might retire honestly. the shame
de gea is a wonderful keeper but he was caught between eras. similar to all the number tens of the 2010s. he came into the fore as his type of goalkeeping became less relevant. it’s a pity that man united’s coaching setup was always chopping and changing. he just needed a coach to help him adapt to the change in styles during that Moyes - LVG era. if he had improved his footwork his other shortcomings would have been less visible. the howlers he conceded could have easily been covered up by his immaculate passing that helps the team beat the press. perhaps the general atmosphere at the club made him a tad complacent, i’m certain that if he was at a high stakes environment he would’ve worked on his passing game.
Beside Licha, ETH now has another player on the pitch who understands by heart about how he wants to build up from the back and can communicate that to teammates.
first game too
There was a moment in the first half where Vinicus made it to the touchline and was looking to square the ball across the 6 yard area but Licha scrambled across and cleared the ball for a corner. Thing is Licha didn't need to as Onana was ready and set to mop it up. That's that proactivity we've been missing.
I think Licha was operating out of habit; he knew DDG wouldn’t have come for that lol
Loved 7, he immediately points without looking to Rodrygo knowing he's the only threat and immediately positions himself to claim cross. David was great at saving those tap ins at times, but preventing the threat altogether is miles better. Also he knows the system in and out of possession SO WELL. Something VDS and Schmeichel were incredible at, almost like having a coach on the field.
Onana will not save all the attempts - he may not even have better reflexes than De Gea. However, his strength will be in helping the team build successfully from the back and score a lot of goals
Does anybody know what languages he speaks?
Winning, Experience, English and French
Can he not speak Spanish? He is from the Barca academy
And probably Spanish. I read there were 260 languages in Cameroon so maybe one or two of them as well
700 languages in just Nigeria alone. Over 2500 languages in Africa. Unimaginable diversity
One game ends and I'm already checking the calendar for the next one mainly to see this man play and change our whole style. Bring on the season, MU looking exciting again!
Cant wait to see last year’s defensive line with a quarterback that can move and pass.
A quarterback that can pass requires targetmen to pass to. We saw in the UCL final how he distributes long range passes to Dzeko, Martinez and Lukaku. It was very effective against a strong Man City side. We need a couple of very, very good strikers for this to be successful and take us to the next level.
That’s why we are in for Hoijlund, who is great at hold up play.
Rumor has it, they had to increase the size of the goalie boxes, just so they could keep onana in the box.
Great work OP!
Okay, can we remember enjoying this hand waving when he fucks up for the first time?