{"id":1315310,"date":"2023-07-09T00:56:42","date_gmt":"2023-07-08T23:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1315310"},"modified":"2023-07-09T00:56:42","modified_gmt":"2023-07-08T23:56:42","slug":"andre-onana-man-utd-erik-ten-hag-vision","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/andre-onana-man-utd-erik-ten-hag-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"Signing Andre Onana can unlock Erik ten Hag’s vision at Manchester United"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manchester United are moving closer to completing the signing of Andre Onana from Inter Milan, according to reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If he arrives the 27-year-old Cameroonian goalkeeper would not only become United’s undisputed number one — following in a lineage that also includes Edwin van der Sar, who played an instrumental role in Onana’s development from afar and the gold-standard Peter Schmeichel; but it would also put into motion Erik ten Hag’s ultimate vision for the record 20-time English champions.<\/p>\n

Ten Hag’s arrival last summer seemed to signal the beginning of the end of De Gea’s time at Old Trafford. It was in fact announced this weekend that the Spaniard will leave United this summer after making a club record (for a goalkeeper) 545 appearances.<\/p>\n

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Note: Several metrics above (i.e. goals conceded) are influenced by team defensive performance and coaching instructions.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Aside from a decline in form, De Gea never suited Ten Hag’s system. This cannot be said of Onana, who served the Red Devils<\/em>‘ head coach well during their period working together at Ajax.<\/p>\n

A pupil of Barcelona’s esteemed youth set-up, Onana moved to Amsterdam when it became clear a pathway into their first team was blocked. The Nkol Ngok-born talent soon took over from Jasper Cillessen after Bar\u00e7a snapped up the Dutchman.<\/p>\n

For Ajax, the transition was smooth. Onana was tailormade to meet the demands Ajax place on whoever stands beneath the crossbar.<\/p>\n

It long troubled Johan Cruyff, Ajax manager of the mid-1980s, that all goalkeepers were asked to do was stop shots. To him this was almost a waste of a player. Frans Hoek, arguably the most pre-eminent goalkeeping coach in recent memory, was hired and subsequently banished Cruyff’s goalkeeping bugbear.<\/p>\n

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    Hoek, whose method is Uefa approved, divides goalkeepers into two categories. Anticipation-type and Reaction-type. The former \u2013 preferred by Cruyff and Louis van Gaal \u2013 describes Onana, who “could be easily used as a field player, able to function as the eleventh player.” Goalkeepers like De Gea \u2013 “strong, has quick reactions and great charisma” \u2013 fall into the latter category.<\/p>\n

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    Smooth from Onana ?#UCL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/BFXCp8YhCR<\/a><\/p>\n

    \u2014 UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 6, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n