How does Andre Onana compare with former Man Utd goalkeeper David De Gea? Is Erik ten Hag's evolving playing style causing teething issues?
Thursday 30 November 2023 13:09, UK
There was an untidy penalty shout against Wolves, a howler at Bayern, a catastrophic pass which resulted in Casemiro seeing red against Galatasaray - before falling to ground early as Mauro Icardi netted the late winner. Andre Onana is under fire.
Fingers have been pointing in several directions after Manchester United recorded their worst start to a league campaign in 34 years and have opened a Champions League campaign with consecutive defeats for the first time in their history.
Harry Maguire continues to endure a rough ride as he waits in the wings for a run of first-team club action, the Glazers put the club up for sale 10 months ago and remains an ongoing situation, Erik ten Hag as fallen out with Jadon Sancho, Antony was given a leave of absence last month to deal with allegations of abuse against him and questions have been asked over the form of Mason Mount, Casemiro and Marcus Rashford - in addition to the entire defence.
Indeed, Ten Hag himself is coming under growing scrutiny after overseeing a £410.9m splurge on signings since taking the helm.
Onana, drafted to replace long-term No 1 David De Gea in the summer and deliver a new possession-based style of play, is now under fire after his performance on Tuesday - having already ceded his start in Manchester hadn't "been good" after Leroy Sane's tame shot trickled under him a fortnight ago.
So, has the Cameroon international been notably at fault and has his well-touted passing abilities mitigated the mistakes so far? Should United have let De Gea go in the summer and is Onana just another scapegoat during their disastrous start to the campaign?
The touch maps below show all touches made in the first seven league games by De Gea last season and Onana this term - clearly showing how Onana is more mobile and has even registered two touches in the opposition half.
Maguire's exile was part of a similar process, where Ten Hag looked to deploy ball-playing defenders, comfortable with taking short passes under pressure. The graphic below shows how United have progressed on that front this season - retaining possession far more frequently after taking a short goal-kick.
Coupled with ball retention, Ten Hag has looked to push his team higher up the pitch and recover the ball higher upfield, to squeeze opponents - edging towards a high-line style more aligned with Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle and moving away from the countering style which became synonymous under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The graphic below shows the rolling 10-game average for Manchester United's starting distance in the Premier League during Ten Hag's tenure and shows how, month by month, United have started open-play passing sequences higher and higher upfield - effectively recovering possession further upfield.
Indeed, Ten Hag's side currently register a league-topping 44.99m from their own goal line when starting open-play passing sequences - ahead of Newcastle and Manchester City.
But pushing higher upfield leaves defenders vulnerable to the counter attack when losing a duel or the counter-press, or the defensive line breaks. The example below shows how Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi countered and scored directly from a United corner in August.
Additionally, playing out from the back can go wrong. In all of those moments, a team often need their goalkeeper to bail them out...
Onana's biggest blunders in a United shirt have come in the Champions League so far - notably shipping a tame shot from Sane against Bayern and initiating the catastrophic chain of events with his wayward pass against Galatasaray - resulting in Casemiro seeing red, before being beaten easily with a lob when faced one-on-one with Icardi.
Some of those mishaps have contributed to Onana registering the fourth-worst xG differential in the competition to date - having shipped 1.23 goals more than expected.
But things don't look so bad in the Premier League, where Onana ranks among a midrange cluster of top-flight stoppers for preventing goals and save percentage, which, arguably, reflects United's standing in the league table.
A quick glimpse at United's past and present 'keepers suggests Onana has faced an above-average numbers of shots struck low in his far corners - already facing 23 from nine games in the Premier League and Champions League. De Gea faced fewer than twice that total in 38 league games last season.
The radar comparison below factors Onana's Premier League and Champions League performances this season and shows how he's been busier than De Gea was at United last season but has shipped far more goals from inside his box - albeit, poor defending and clinical finishing can also play a part here.
So, how do De Gea and Onana compare, when looking at their Premier League statistics since last season?
Per game, Onana has conceded more goals and kept fewer clean sheets but has saved more shots and completed more passes - however, surprisingly, only seven passes more per 90 minutes, on average.
The key thing here is both keepers register on par for preventing goals, meaning both shipped as many goals as expected - based on the quality of chances they faced.
Ten Hag's roadmap is under way but his evolving style appears to be presenting clearer chances for opponents. His side need to snuff out errors, defend better and execute the plan but teething issues appear to be hampering consistent results.
However, the Dutchman needs positive results fast, with bookies pitting him as the second-favourite Premier League manager to face the axe next, after Paul Heckingbottom.
