Absolutely. If there is a squad purchase that I am sure was the least specifically requested or driven by Ten Hag, Bayindir is probably top of the list.Blaming ETH is a cheap cop-out here.
Two trophies in 2 years after a 6 year silverware drought. Worst manager ever?Three words. Erik Ten Hag. Maybe the worst United manager EVER.
Absolutely. If there is a squad purchase that I am sure was the least specifically requested or driven by Ten Hag, Bayindir is probably top of the list.
He was scouted and considered a good option for the backup GK role by the club. It looks like he is not up to it, but honestly it is really tough to say when a player never plays on the basis of a single performance.
But Kovar didn't have a real (immediate) shot at being first choice at Leverkusen either. But he obviously got promised some matches. There is no reason why United couldn't have offered him the same even if he wouldn't have been first choice. Same obviously goes for Bayindir, but instead Onana got every match possible. It definitely was a club/EtH decision not to go for the kind of job sharing many clubs do with their keepers.The Kovar comparisons are pointless, he wanted first-team football so was on his way out anyway, so don't think it was feasible we were going to keep him, unless he had a genuine shot of being our no.1 (in hindsight perhaps he did, but we weren't to know).
Ten Hag wasn't really the type to rotate his squad though, not his keepers at least. Like you mentioned, Onana played pretty much every game for Ten Hag, and De Gea too in his first season. Perhaps had we recruited Amorim much earlier, Kovar could have been convinced to stay but it looked like he felt convinced his only shot at first team football was elsewhere.But Kovar didn't have a real (immediate) shot at being first choice at Leverkusen either. But he obviously got promised some matches. There is no reason why United couldn't have offered him the same even if he wouldn't have been first choice. Same obviously goes for Bayindir, but instead Onana got every match possible. It definitely was a club/EtH decision not to go for the kind of job sharing many clubs do with their keepers.
That's true, I only wanted to point out that "first team football" doesn't have to mean becoming the No 1 keeper.Ten Hag wasn't really the type to rotate his squad though, not his keepers at least. Like you mentioned, Onana played pretty much every game for Ten Hag, and De Gea too in his first season. Perhaps had we recruited Amorim much earlier, Kovar could have been convinced to stay but it looked like he felt convinced his only shot at first team football was elsewhere.
Damn! My bad. For their names mixed up.Foster wasn't an academy player.
Henderson was and he made a decent stab at getting the no.1 shirt.
Now, I'm not saying he's terrible (and this thread could have been made at any point since his signing, it's not a reaction to a single mistake). I couldn't say. Not seen enough of him. Just enough to know that he's not at the level required for United. And I think pretty much everyone knew that when he signed. There were stories about Fenerbache fans being glad to see him go after having suffered two injuries and not really been at it after in terms of concentration, making too many sloppy mistakes.
The only quotes from the club at the time were from Murtough: "Altay is an excellent addition to our squad and adds further quality to our already strong group of experienced goalkeepers. Having consistently performed at a high level in a strong European league, he has the qualities to support us in achieving our ambitions across all competitions this season and beyond."
We paid 4.3m for him, while we sold Matej Kovar to Leverkusen at the same time for the same price. Ingenious. Last season when Onana's form was in absolute free fall there was no serious candidate to come in and take the heat off for a minute, or push Onana to raise his level (something we've always needed for Luke Shaw, and every major club needs healthy competition).
Why would United be signing a keeper of whom there were doubts about their progression and their mental resilience?
I certainly think we need a number two, not just to improve on Bayindir, which we obviously do, but to actually challenge Onana.
