I thought he was very impressive. Did pretty much what I was hoping he would do. I love his aggressive positioning 
24
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 51
- Clean sheets
- 13
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 6
- Status
On the flip side, whenever he does some relatively basic things (like catch corners, say) he'll benefit from the comparison to De Gea who was (rightly) perceived to be weak in that area, even if it turns out Onana isn't much better than the average PL goalkeeper in that regard.
This is all retrospective though, Bellingham was running across the field so it required perfect first touch and then a perfect chip from him, what he did. I think it's a bit harsh to criticize him for that, although Martinez closed down Bellingham quickly so probably the right decision was to stay in goal.
Wouldn't blame him. But he will be over-proactive. In the end I don't this will be net positive approach but he needs to be a bit cautious as plenty of strikers will be trying to lob him.
As a genuine question, what do you think the keeper should have done in that situation? DDG would have done the same thing, come out and then been helpless against a well executed chip.
I thought he was excellent, probably the single most influential signing we could have made - whether it will work out we will see but the shape of the team and where the defensive line was looked much more positive to me.
His reads the game too, one time he asked Licha to move forward so he can pass to Shaw, in min 2.43, with Licha moving up it dragged the presser away from Shaw.
Thought the first goal could have been avoided. I suppose we’ll see a few of them throughout the season. It’s all about his judgement. He’ll win some and he’ll lose some.
But even the most petty DDG hater wouldnt do that right....? Every catch that Onana makes ''DDG wouldnt have picked that ball out of the air'' or every pass Onana completes ''DDG would have lost the ball with a hoof ball there'' Well actually... some might be capable of doing that
Saves are more flashy, more important to the direct result and therefor easier to comment on. And i do like DDG but wasnt he near or below the average in almost all statistics from all EPL goalkeepers last season? Even at making big saves? As long as Onana is going to be above average he will be an upgrade over last season DDG.
Yeah, I'm suspecting the same. Rather than really focusing on midfield to be the ones dominating the ball and controlling us around, he'll use them in more of a transitionary sense and it'll be the defence that is the more dominant ball-players from deeper areas. Martinez is obviously the main one in that regard, with Shaw also being well suited to it. But it's pretty much impossible to do that properly without the keeper behind them all also being a good passer (in both ability and decision making).
But even the most petty DDG hater wouldnt do that right....? Every catch that Onana makes ''DDG wouldnt have picked that ball out of the air'' or every pass Onana completes ''DDG would have lost the ball with a hoof ball there'' Well actually... some might be capable of doing that
Saves are more flashy, more important to the direct result and therefor easier to comment on. And i do like DDG but wasnt he near or below the average in almost all statistics from all EPL goalkeepers last season? Even at making big saves? As long as Onana is going to be above average he will be an upgrade over last season DDG.
I can 100% guarantee that you will see those comments regularly on this forum across the season.
I don't think it was some huge mistake, just a sub-optimal decision. Bellingham was running away from the goal and had Martinez close-by, staying on the edge of his box would've required Bellingham to find the corner whilst under pressure, which he may still have done. Bellingham's options would have been significantly more difficult if Onana was on the six yard line at this moment.
DDG isn't here anymore but this guy is and he was a breath of fresh air. Brilliant on the ball just loved to see him on the ball.
I'm not sure if I was just imagining it, but it did feel like at the beginning of the game the defenders were often taking up positions that they would with De Gea in goal, and there was at least once that Onana seemed to be frustrated that Martinez and Varane were too deep and narrow in what he felt was 'his' position. Like you said, over the course of the game it seemed to stop happening so it's only going to improve from here.
So this is what it feels like to enjoy watching us play out from the back.
Our new keeper is happy passing with either foot.
His decision for the first goal probably had a lot to do with not knowing his teammates and minimal knowledge of the opposition (in terms of in-depth analysis). For example how fast our defenders are to recover, whether the opposition is two footed etc etc. As always, it will take time for a keeper to learn his defenders strengths and weaknesses.
De Gea would never come out that far too early. He stays back and then moves forward at the exact right time. It's literally the one last thing he was still good at!
Like I said, now a howler by any stretch... Just came out a tad too quickly in my opinion.
He's not come out that fast though. Watch the replay, he is waiting just outside the 6 yard box and only advances when he sees where Bellingham's touch goes. I guess DDG might simply have sat in the six yard box and not have moved at all but then Bellingham might not have taken the touch he did, which was a bit wide and let our defence recover. I think we have to be a bit more objective, Onana will make some howlers given how he plays but this was an offside goal with a very accurate finish.
Christ almighty.
A little sketchy for the first goal, no doubt, but the damn bicycle kick was inside the goal box & shinned well & with pace.
There were lots on instances where Onana played a pass, and then made a move to position himself for a return pass. It was so refreshing to see.
Imagine conceding a lobbed goal in 6th minute with your new club
To be honest, he did recover quite well after that like it was nothing. I would imagine we could've conceded more goals if he didn't and was nervous, so that is probably good news.
So this is what a GK with an excellent passing range looks like. Love how he is able to keep the ball moving without resorting to hoofing it when put under a bit of pressure.
Clearly his fault. No need to come out, if he stayed deeper Bellingham would have had no opportunity to score as Martinez had already caught up with him.
It happened in pretty much his first action for us in his first game so I don't care really. He had a great game afterwards but that was a bad decision to come out for a ball he had no chance of getting to first.
Imagine conceding a goal down to 10 men against Madrid , ETH out I'd say. So nothing about the great save against Vin Jnr cutting inside or the ball playing when after one press from Madrid they stopped. Man, I think some of you swallowed that "Madrid Fan boy" ESPN commentator nonsense in your sleep last night. The reporting on ESPN was the most one sided I have heard since the Reading game. It was also offside.Imagine conceding a lobbed goal in 6th minute with your new club
To be honest, he did recover quite well after that like it was nothing. I would imagine we could've conceded more goals if he didn't and was nervous, so that is probably good news.
100% we will see the opposition" keeper press" disappear against our side with him in goal.
Adrenaline got the better of him for the first goal. Never should come out for a ball when a defender is there. But he will learn from that. Other than that, I thought he was great and will be a really good signing
Maybe could have done better on the first goal, nothing he could have done about the second. But overall he was good.
Yeah there was an interview someone posted in his transfer thread a couple weeks ago iirc, where he was still at Ajax and basically told the interviewer he doesn't give a F. I think it might have been when Ajax fans weren't pleased with him as he wasn't renewing, having just returned from a suspension. But i could be wrong!
I can't believe anyone can criticise him for the second goal, and I see some are mentioning it as weak goal for some reason.
First goal he could have stayed maybe on the line, but then Bellingham would let the ball straight instead of wide and we could blame him for staying on the line.
It would have been in VAR was around. He was offside by the looks of things.
I don't understand what you're saying to me. I also believe you completely missed the point so I will make it simple for you: it was a fantastic goal from Bellingham and Onana is hardly to blame for it. I also like that he didn't seem fussed about that at all.
Onana did well in that game and was very good on the ball.
From day one I like his presence and his passing is mint. He is the most exciting transfer we have made so far (even including Hojlund/Amrabat).
Exactly. He took a chance but there is no way he prevents a goal if Bellingham shoots with that accuracy.
Absolutely it's a start
Good practice match vs Real Madrid. His aggressive, proactive keeping, his ball playing capabilities, his two footedness are all advantages to the way Ten Hag wants to play. Apart from the first goal, he also made two really good saves, claimed one or two high balls. Happy for his outing and happy we finally have a ball playing goalkeeper. Christmas has come early this year.
This is a good point.
It took about a year of De Gea having to be absolutely brilliant before journalists and opposition fans stopped calling him dodgy and a flop and started giving him credit.
It'll be the same thing with Onana.
You can argue his headed clearance lead to the 2nd goal, and him being so far off the line caused the first.
So good. See how even in tight areas or difficult passes, he plays the ball with the right weight and the right placement to give our player a good chance to play the next pass out of danger with his first touch. Weight of pass and exact placement is so important and he just has it.
It's a trip watching that compilation and then trying to imagine De Gea doing something even slightly similar.
Have to say that moment 10 seconds in where we are all calm in building up but Bruno gives it away with a stupid backheel is very annoying. We had a lot of those and always have lots of those, players lose composure in the build up and try to do a silly flick. Need less of that. Sometimes it works. Usually loses possession.
No, you weren't imaging it at all. There was also an instance in the first half where they put a ball across the six yard box, and Martinez put it out for a corner even though Onana had dived to cut the ball out. They've got to get used to a very very different goalkeeper behind them, as you say it'll take time but it'll also improve us massively in the long run.
Edit - I've just seen that ball across the box is in the compilation above, around 40 seconds.
Who the feck chose those lyrics to go with Onana's performance? What a twat.
He looks good though.
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