Ruben Amorim was right to drop ‘stressed’ Andre Onana, but Man United is the hardest club to play for

Ruben Amorim made the right call in dropping Andre Onana after his erratic form in goal for Manchester United. That’s the view of former Red Devils goalkeeper Ben Foster, who offered his sympathy, knowing the magnitude of playing for the club. Amorim made the bold call to drop Onana against NewcastleGetty Bayindir replaced him, but he also suffered a poor performanceGetty Onana was omitted from the matchday squad that lost 4-1 against Newcastle on Sunday after two midweek errors against Lyon. He allowed their Europa League opponents to take the lead and then equalise in stoppage-time when United were on the cusp of victory. Head coach Amorim started Altay Bayindir instead of him on Sunday following the question marks over his performance on Thursday. And Foster, who made 23 appearances for United as a goalkeeper, has backed the under-pressure Portuguese coach for his decision. When asked on talkSPORT Breakfast if goalkeepers are made out as scapegoats at United, he said: “No, I just think it is a really, really hard position to play goalkeeper for Manchester United. “It’s massive boots to fill there, you look over the years and some of the great goalkeepers they’ve had. I’ve tried myself and I can promise you it’s a very difficult position to feel. “I just feel that Onana, Bayindir, they are really struggling at this moment in time. I think Onana, it’s been quite clear this season, he’s made quite a few big mistakes, the two that he made in Europe in the week were horrible. “I think his confidence is shot, so I think the manager was probably right in doing what he did but on the same side, I think he needs a good performance from Altay Bayindir, and he didn’t get it yesterday, did he?” Foster also revealed what he thinks separates Onana and top goalkeepers. He added: “It’s a horrible place to be [being left out] and I’ve been in it so many times throughout my career where you’re struggling mentally and the only thing you can think of is, ‘Don’t make a mistake.’ Foster believes Amorim was right to drop OnanaGetty But Foster also spoke on the pressure that all players face at UnitedtalkSPORT “And it’s the worst way to go into games, if you can go into games with big confidence, positivity, knowing that you’re going to help your team out, then you’re on a great setting to start the game. “But when you’re thinking negatively and pessimistically, it’s a really bad place to be, but I think Onana has been a little bit like that all season really. “I see some of the mistakes that he’s made and some of the saves that he makes, he seems to me like he’s a little bit stressed when it comes to the big moments. “Whether it’s the big moment of making a save, whether it’s a block or a parry, instead of being really sort of gentle and calm under pressure, he seems to be a little bit too stressed for me. “So he’s getting real blocky surfaces on things and everything seems to be popping out into that six-yard box, where you look at some of the top goalkeepers in the world and straightaway you think of someone like Emi Martinez or Alisson, or Thibaut Courtois. “Them goalkeepers, when it comes to the real, big moments, it’s that calmness under pressure, it’s about being focussed but relaxed at the same time, and Onana just doesn’t seem to be able to do that.” Despite recent performances, Onana could return on Thursday after a week outGetty Despite concerns over Onana’s confidence in goal, Foster drew upon his own experience at United and sympathised with his struggles. He continued: “It’s not a nice position to be in when there’s chopping and changing going all over the team. I’ve said it so many times before, I just think Manchester United are the hardest club to play for in world football, I really do. “I think there’s so much focus on them, there’s so much negativity surrounding them, good, bad or different. Whether they win a game on Saturday afternoon, there’s going to be stories flying about all over the place. “I just think it’s a really specialised position, especially the goalkeeper’s position. So I do have some sympathy for him, but the only way that he can put all these stories to bed is by performing on a Saturday afternoon and when the big moments come.” Onana could be brought back into the fold for United when they face Lyon in their quarter-final second leg, live on talkSPORT, on Thursday. They must win to stand any chance of European football next season as defeat to Newcastle has left them 14th in the Premier League. This season will be their worst ever in the English top flight since its inception in 1992.

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Ruben Amorim was right to drop ‘stressed’ Andre Onana, but Man United is the hardest club to play for

Ruben Amorim made the right call in dropping Andre Onana after his erratic form in goal for Manchester United.

That’s the view of former Red Devils goalkeeper Ben Foster, who offered his sympathy, knowing the magnitude of playing for the club.

Amorim made the bold call to drop Onana against Newcastle

Bayindir replaced him, but he also suffered a poor performance

Onana was omitted from the matchday squad that lost 4-1 against Newcastle on Sunday after two midweek errors against Lyon.

He allowed their Europa League opponents to take the lead and then equalise in stoppage-time when United were on the cusp of victory.

Head coach Amorim started Altay Bayindir instead of him on Sunday following the question marks over his performance on Thursday.

And Foster, who made 23 appearances for United as a goalkeeper, has backed the under-pressure Portuguese coach for his decision.

When asked on talkSPORT Breakfast if goalkeepers are made out as scapegoats at United, he said: “No, I just think it is a really, really hard position to play goalkeeper for Manchester United.

“It’s massive boots to fill there, you look over the years and some of the great goalkeepers they’ve had. I’ve tried myself and I can promise you it’s a very difficult position to feel.

“I just feel that Onana, Bayindir, they are really struggling at this moment in time. I think Onana, it’s been quite clear this season, he’s made quite a few big mistakes, the two that he made in Europe in the week were horrible.

“I think his confidence is shot, so I think the manager was probably right in doing what he did but on the same side, I think he needs a good performance from Altay Bayindir, and he didn’t get it yesterday, did he?”

Foster also revealed what he thinks separates Onana and top goalkeepers.

He added: “It’s a horrible place to be [being left out] and I’ve been in it so many times throughout my career where you’re struggling mentally and the only thing you can think of is, ‘Don’t make a mistake.’

Foster believes Amorim was right to drop Onana

But Foster also spoke on the pressure that all players face at United

“And it’s the worst way to go into games, if you can go into games with big confidence, positivity, knowing that you’re going to help your team out, then you’re on a great setting to start the game.

“But when you’re thinking negatively and pessimistically, it’s a really bad place to be, but I think Onana has been a little bit like that all season really.

“I see some of the mistakes that he’s made and some of the saves that he makes, he seems to me like he’s a little bit stressed when it comes to the big moments.

“Whether it’s the big moment of making a save, whether it’s a block or a parry, instead of being really sort of gentle and calm under pressure, he seems to be a little bit too stressed for me.

“So he’s getting real blocky surfaces on things and everything seems to be popping out into that six-yard box, where you look at some of the top goalkeepers in the world and straightaway you think of someone like Emi Martinez or Alisson, or Thibaut Courtois.

“Them goalkeepers, when it comes to the real, big moments, it’s that calmness under pressure, it’s about being focussed but relaxed at the same time, and Onana just doesn’t seem to be able to do that.”

Despite recent performances, Onana could return on Thursday after a week out

Despite concerns over Onana’s confidence in goal, Foster drew upon his own experience at United and sympathised with his struggles.

He continued: “It’s not a nice position to be in when there’s chopping and changing going all over the team. I’ve said it so many times before, I just think Manchester United are the hardest club to play for in world football, I really do.

“I think there’s so much focus on them, there’s so much negativity surrounding them, good, bad or different. Whether they win a game on Saturday afternoon, there’s going to be stories flying about all over the place.

“I just think it’s a really specialised position, especially the goalkeeper’s position. So I do have some sympathy for him, but the only way that he can put all these stories to bed is by performing on a Saturday afternoon and when the big moments come.”

Onana could be brought back into the fold for United when they face Lyon in their quarter-final second leg, live on talkSPORT, on Thursday.

They must win to stand any chance of European football next season as defeat to Newcastle has left them 14th in the Premier League.

This season will be their worst ever in the English top flight since its inception in 1992.