Former Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard says some of Andre Onana's preseason remarks "utterly shocked" him.
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- Onana willing to 'take risks' this season
- Tim Howard 'shocked' by comments
- Tells goalkeeper to cut out mistakes
- Getty
WHAT HAPPENED?
Onana joined Manchester United in the summer of 2023 from Ajax as the Red Devils looked to fill the David de Gea-shaped gap in their squad. However, the Cameroonian goalkeeper struggled to find his footing and was guilty of several high-profile errors in a disappointing Premier League season for the Red Devils.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Manchester United conceded a total of 84 goals in all competitions throughout last season, and several questions have been raised about Onana's place in the team for the 2024/25 campaign. The Cameroonian, however, has claimed that he is not fazed by all the criticism. Onana also claimed during pre-season that he will be looking to take more risks this season, something that has baffled Howard, a former goalkeeper for the Red Devils.
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WHAT HOWARD SAID
Speaking to NBC Sports, Howard said: "I’m rarely surprised at things in football. [But] I was utterly shocked to hear Onana say ‘be prepared I will take a lot more risks this season’.
"He conceded 58 goals, that number has to come down, he can ill-afford to make too many mistakes. Some of the goals that went past him were very, very saveable. The fact he’s willing to take more risks I guess is exciting and compelling, I wasn’t convinced last year, but right now he has a lot to prove.
"He has brilliant ability but he hasn’t put that into place and too many goals are going in that need to be saved."
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WHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?
The former Ajax goalkeeper was one of the stars for Erik ten Hag's side as they opened their Premier League campaign with a win against Fulham. However, he will now look to maintain that form into the rest of the season and silence his critics.