Former Manchester United star, Rio Ferdinand, has expressed his belief that goalkeeper Andre Onana needs to step up his game following his recent error in the Red Devils’ 2-1 victory over Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.
Onana was at fault for Brentford’s opening goal, failing to stop Mathias Jensen’s low shot and allowing the visitors to take the lead. However, two late goals in the second half from Scott McTominay secured the win for Erik ten Hag’s side at Old Trafford.
Reflecting on Onana’s ecstatic celebrations after the victory, Ferdinand shared his thoughts on his FIVE podcast on Monday, drawing from his own experience, stating, “I saw a bit of myself in him. I didn’t perform well when England drew against Greece and David Beckham scored that famous free-kick [to secure World Cup 2002 qualification].”
“I remember celebrating with Becks and thanking him. I saw a bit of that in Onana. When you make a mistake… I could sense the relief he felt,” Ferdinand continued.
He also mentioned former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who had advised Onana not to let the pressure of playing for Man Utd affect him.
Ferdinand believes that Onana, if given the chance to express himself, would admit that his performance so far has fallen short of expectation. He added, “This is not the start I wanted, this is nowhere near the level I am used to performing at, and this is not the standard required at Man Utd. So, he needs to raise his game.”
