The Manchester United goalkeeper’s jersey has always been heavy. Right now, it feels heavier than ever.
Ruben Amorim, United’s new manager, admitted as much before the international break. “It is hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment,” he said. His words now loom over Carrington as the club prepares for a derby showdown with Manchester City.
In the past fortnight, United have signed 23-year-old Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18 million. At the same time, they are negotiating to send Andre Onana — once their £47 million marquee goalkeeper — out on loan to Trabzonspor. It leaves Amorim with a stark choice: stick with Altay Bayindir, who has looked vulnerable in recent matches, or thrust Lammens into one of the most unforgiving fixtures in English football.
Errors are not tolerated at Old Trafford. They are magnified, replayed, and remembered.
Onana’s Rise and Fall
Onana arrived at United in 2023 as the modern goalkeeper, valued for his quick feet and calm passing under pressure. Edwin van der Sar, who knew him well at Ajax, championed the signing. “He was excited about Onana coming to United,” one source close to the former chief executive recalled. “He really believed in him.”
But the Cameroon international struggled from the outset. In a pre-season friendly against Lens, he was lobbed from 50 yards after a misplaced pass. It set the tone. Supporters’ patience thinned as mistakes piled up. By April, even fellow professionals were weighing in. Nemanja Matic, a former United midfielder and close friend of David de Gea, described Onana as “one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history” — a stinging comment made before a Europa League tie against Lyon. Onana crumbled that night, committing two costly errors.
By season’s end, Amorim was already looking elsewhere. Onana’s only appearance this term came in a Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby, where he was again at fault.
The Search for Stability
United’s decision to bring in Lammens over World Cup winner Emiliano Martínez was a long-term bet. The Belgian is raw but seen as a potential cornerstone in three or four years, when the club hopes to be competing again for major titles. In the short term, though, it leaves Amorim gambling with inexperience.
“The Manchester United shirt is a heavy one to wear,” said Phil Jones, the former United defender who played alongside seven different keepers during his 12 years at the club. “To be number one here you need rhino skin. If you make a mistake, it spreads quickly through the team.”
Jones pointed to David de Gea, who endured a rocky start but grew into one of the club’s most decorated players. “He had it,” Jones said of De Gea’s resilience. “He almost didn’t care about mistakes. He was there when it mattered.”
The Mental Burden
Roy Carroll, another ex-United goalkeeper, knows the toll. He won a Premier League title and an FA Cup, but his name is often linked to one glaring blunder — dropping a Pedro Mendes shot over the line against Tottenham. “At the time, I wasn’t laughing because I was upset,” Carroll recalled. “As you get older, you get more relaxed.”
Carroll now works as a coach and speaks candidly about the depression he suffered during his career. “Nobody taught me how to control the mental side,” he said. “You can be the best keeper in the world, but once you lose the mental side of it, it can break you.”
His words underline the scale of United’s challenge. Goalkeeping at Old Trafford has always required more than safe hands. It demands a thick skin, a calm head, and the ability to carry the weight of history.
As Amorim prepares his side for the derby, he must decide who shoulders that responsibility next. One mistake could define not just a game, but a career.
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