There is only so much a manager can say to protect a player when the evidence is this damning. Andre Onana did not just let the ball slip through his gloves in Lyon — he let down a team that needed him most.
This was not an isolated moment or an unfortunate slip. It was a collapse, both in decision-making and execution, from a goalkeeper who continues to defy the benefit of the doubt.
Onana’s glaring mistakes against Lyon turned a hard-earned 2-1 lead into a gut-wrenching 2-2 draw. In the first half, he misjudged a routine free-kick from Thiago Almada and watched it skid past him into the net.
That alone would have drawn criticism. But to then parry a late Georges Mikautadze strike straight to Rayan Cherki for the equaliser in stoppage time was indefensible.
In any context, this would be unacceptable. In the Europa League quarter-finals, with the tie hanging in the balance and United desperate for a route back to relevance, it becomes inexcusable.
Yet, Onana is not one to shy away from attention. Just 24 hours before kick-off, he felt it necessary to claim United were “way better” than Lyon, prompting Nemanja Matic to label him one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s history.
It was not just a spat — it was a public display of arrogance that only amplified the fallout from his performance. Matic, unused on the night, looked vindicated.
Ruben Amorim tried to deflect post-match attention, insisting “it can happen” and that mistakes are part of the game. But even he admitted the dressing room “felt really quiet”, a telling contrast to his usual bullish tone.
United did many things well in Lyon. Leny Yoro’s first goal for the club was a proud moment, and Joshua Zirkzee’s header seemed to have sealed a crucial win. But those positives are now footnotes.
Onana continues to pull the spotlight towards himself, but not for the reasons goalkeepers should. He can no longer be protected by context or confidence. This is not a blip — it is a trend.
If this is not the end of his United career, it surely has to be its ceiling. The margins are too fine and the stakes too high. Onana’s errors are no longer unfortunate. They are unforgivable.
