Manchester United’s season so far has been far from what was anticipated prior to the campaign, with it looking likely that they will be playing in the Europa League next season.

Inconsistency is expected when undertaking an entire rebuild like the one at the Red Devils, but a clear intent of development has been shown via their spending of just over £170m in the summer.

The striker position was addressed with the signing of Rasmus Hojlund, while the midfield was also strengthened by the addition of Mason Mount, although he’s been absent with injuries.

However, the most talked-about position of all was the goalkeeper spot, with long-term shot-stopper David De Gea leaving and Andre Onana joining, but just like the Spaniard, he endured a tough start to life in Manchester.

First impressions of Andre Onana

In the summer, Onana left Inter after losing in the Champions League final to Manchester City, and with Erik ten Hag on the lookout for a new number one, he reunited with the former Ajax keeper as he joined the Red Devils for a startling fee of £47.2m.

After just one Premier League match, Onana’s ability to adapt and perform in England was instantly tested, as he faced a mammoth 23 shots from Wolverhampton Wanderers, making six saves in the process and preventing 0.78 goals.

However, the Cameroon international’s performance levels started to decrease for the rest of 2023, making multiple howlers, notably in the Champions League against Bayern Munich and both legs versus Galatasaray.

Those errors led United legend Roy Keane to call Onana “the biggest disappointment” in the Premier League, which really does highlight how much he was struggling to settle in his new environment.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Andre Onana’s recent performances

However, fast forward to today, and Onana has been one of United’s best performers, which underlines how quickly perceptions can change based on performances.

Football content creator Liam Canning has described the goalkeeper as “utterly brilliant” for his performance against Manchester City, where he prevented 0.66 goals and made four saves in the box, while journalist Josh Bunting labelled him "superb."

Furthermore, the statistics stack in his favour from the entire season in the Premier League, with the former Inter player making the third most saves, the second most clean sheets, and his efforts between the posts preventing four goals, according to StatmanDave.

This is all while facing the third-most shots per game in the league, with only Sheffield United and Luton Town conceding more attempts at goal than United, further highlighting that he’s constantly up against the odds.

That was the case once again last Saturday, when Man United beat Everton 2-0 at Old Trafford, as shown by the table below.

Goals conceded

0

Saves

6

Saves inside the box

4

Goals prevented

0.99

High claims

2

Clearances

1

Key passes

1

Onana’s influence on the team is slowly becoming more important as each game goes by, and his six saves at the weekend prevented one goal, which enabled the Red Devils to get over the line.

The number 24’s confidence is also slowly returning, with his proactive approach on show, making one clearance and two high claims. Onana also made a key pass with his vast passing range, allowing United to get up the field while preventing Everton from playing a particularly high line.

Overall, Onana is finally living up to his price tag and huge expectations as De Gea’s replacement, with his mentality clearly being elite enough to put the mistakes behind him.