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Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag looks on ahead of the UEFA Champions League 1st round, day 5, Group A football match between Galatasaray and Manchester United at Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi in Istanbul, on November 29, 2023. (Photo by Yasin Akgul / AFP) (Photo by YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images)

André Onana is ‘the second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League,’ insists Erik ten Hag

Ahead of Manchester United’s clash against Newcastle United on Saturday evening, Erik ten Hag addressed the media at the club’s Carrington Training Facility. On Friday, the Dutchman offered updates on squad injuries, Kobbie Mainoo’s development and André Onana’s form – before then going on to preview the match against the Magpies.

Kobbie Mainoo ‘makes the right decisions’

Much of the attention at Manchester United has been focused on Alejandro Garnacho after his recent goalscoring exploits – but Erik ten Hag insists that ‘on Sunday, [Kobbie Mainoo] was ready.’

‘[I like] his scanning, it always looks like he has time. Because of his scanning, he is running free and the scanning to see the options and then make the right decisions. He can delay, he can speed up and he makes the right decisions.’

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But it won’t be smooth sailing as the youngster integrates fully with the first team, as the Dutchman adds that ‘we have to manage three games in six days to get the best results in all of those games. We have more than 11 players and we have good options there, like Sofyan [Amrabat], who also showed [that] as he played a very good game. We have many options but we have to manage the load of the players. It is also about freshness as well.’

André Onana ‘has made some mistakes’ but is ‘a strong character’

Following a number of goalkeeping errors during Manchester United’s UEFA Champions League clash with Galatasaray, André Onana’s tenure as the Red Devils’ first-choice goalkeeper has come under intense scrutiny.

But Erik ten Hag is keen to stick by the Cameroonian international, insisting that ‘if you analyse it well, then you will see he is the second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League, based on stats. His expected defence on goal is the second best in the Premier League. So yeah, he is doing well, but also he knows that, in the Champions League, he has had made some mistakes. But, overall, in the first five months, he is doing particularly well.’

‘You know also because you have seen how he is reacting after a bad performance, like he did after Munich. Then after, against Burnley, he was outstanding. He is a strong character, a personality and he will deal with it.’

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The manager was then questioned as to whether the shotstopper still has the trust of his teammates, to which he explained that unity plays a core role in the Manchester United squad.

‘No, [the players aren’t losing faith in him]. But in this dressing room this will not happen. This dressing room is together. Yeah, football is a game of mistakes and everyone can make mistakes but then the team has to bandage. This team has to cover that and so we will operate.’

Despite that, he issued a stark warning, adding that ‘no-one is undroppable. That is also clear. We believe and we have a strong belief that he will help us win trophies.’

‘I can’t say how long it will take’

When asked if a number of players would be fit enough to return for Manchester United’s final UEFA Champions League match against Bayern Munich, the manager explained that he doesn’t ‘think about the [Bayern] Munich game. First, we go back into the Premier League. There are players on the way back but I can’t say now [about the] prognosis on how long it will take.’

‘Mason Mount is, today, returning on the pitch [in training’, but I don’t know how long it will take until he returns [to play]. I can’t say in this moment.’

Donny van de Beek ‘had the opportunity’ to play

Despite his exclusion from the Red Devils’ European squad for the season, Erik ten Hag insists that Donny van de Beek has been afforded enough opportunities to start.

‘I think Donny has to play. In games he was in the squad, so then he had the opportunity, but it was a slow start in the season because he still recovered from physical setbacks,’ he explained.

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But the manager understands that a move away from Manchester United may be needed for the midfielder to develop his career further and earn consistent playing time.

‘Now he is back and is doing well in the training so, if we can’t give him perspective, I can see that he has to play, for his career, for everything.’

‘Annoying’ comment ‘was a postive’ for Newcastle

The manager was asked for his thoughts on the Newcastle side he is preparing to face, and he explained that he ‘really respects them as it is a difficult team to play against.’

‘It is a good challenge and I like to play against them because, in the challenge, we have to rise to the occasion. We have to be at our best against them because as I say, the way they play, I think is very good and very organised.’

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Erik ten Hag was also asked to clarify a comment he made last season, in which he referred to Newcastle United as an ‘annoying’ side.

‘I didn’t say that [they’re annoying because of timewasting]. I make that point, clear. But the term annoying, that was a positive for them. It is a really difficult team to play so I meant it in a very positive way because I respect what they are doing. They are physical, they are very good in transitions and very organised in the pressing. They are doing a great job there and I like to play against them.’

André Onana is ‘the second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League,’ insists Erik ten Hag – FromTheSpot