Van der Sar Defends Onana's Manchester United Struggles as Club Instability Issue

2026-02-24 community

Manchester, 24 February 2026
Edwin van der Sar has offered a surprising defence of Andre Onana’s failed Manchester United stint, blaming the club’s chronic instability rather than the goalkeeper’s ability. The Dutch legend, who worked with Onana at Ajax, argues that constant changes in defence, midfield, and management over six years created an impossible environment for the Cameronian to succeed, despite his ‘tremendous qualities’.

A Defence Rooted in Experience

Van der Sar’s assessment carries significant weight, given his intimate knowledge of Onana’s capabilities from their time together at Ajax, where he worked with the goalkeeper for three to four years [1][2]. The former Manchester United legend acknowledges that whilst Onana possesses “tremendous qualities – reflections and his feet,” he also noted a concerning pattern: “somehow, he has the odd mistake in him that makes you think ‘That’s crazy, how can he do that’” [1][2]. This candid observation from someone who witnessed Onana’s development firsthand provides crucial context to the goalkeeper’s struggles at Old Trafford.

The £47 Million Gamble That Went Wrong

Onana’s arrival at Manchester United in 2023 for £47 million ($63 million) was intended to solve the club’s goalkeeping dilemma following David de Gea’s departure [1]. However, his tenure quickly became defined by high-profile errors that undermined the team’s performance [1]. The nadir came when former teammate Nemanja Matic publicly declared Onana “the worst goalkeeper in Man United’s history” before last season’s Europa League quarter-final tie with Lyon [1]. This harsh assessment followed two costly blunders in a 2-2 draw during the first leg against Lyon, epitomising the mounting pressure on the Cameronian international [1].

Systemic Instability at Old Trafford

Van der Sar’s defence centres on Manchester United’s chronic institutional problems rather than individual failings. “United haven’t had stability for the last six or seven years – the back four changing, the centre-halves and midfielders changing, coaches changing,” he explained, highlighting the turbulent environment that greeted Onana’s arrival [2][6]. The Dutch legend emphasised that “a team wants stability, to know what your goalkeeper is doing so the back four can relate,” suggesting that constant personnel changes made it impossible for Onana to develop the crucial understanding required with his defensive colleagues [2][6]. This systemic instability, Van der Sar argued, has affected numerous signings: “A lot of players who have come here in the last eight or nine years have not reached the level that people expected them to reach” [2][6].

From Old Trafford to Turkey: Continued Struggles

Onana’s departure from Manchester United followed a particularly damaging performance in a Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town, where two mistakes led directly to goals [1]. Subsequently loaned to Trabzonspor and dropped from Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations squad, his attempts at rehabilitation have met further obstacles [1][2]. At the Turkish club, Onana has made 21 appearances this season but managed only four clean sheets, with a recent poor performance against Fenerbahce placing his proposed permanent move in jeopardy [2][6]. These continued difficulties suggest that whilst Van der Sar’s assessment of Manchester United’s instability may be accurate, Onana’s individual challenges extend beyond his Old Trafford experience.

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football goalkeeper