"It's a big club and he has to prepare" – Andre Onana's former teammate speaks out on Manchester United man's start to life in the Premier League
Brighton & Hove Albion star Joel Veltman has backed his ex-Ajax teammate Andre Onana to push through his ongoing hardship and cement himself as a vital player at Manchester United.
Onana, 27, secured a permanent move to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in a switch worth up to £47 million earlier this summer. He replaced long-serving shot-stopper David de Gea and reunited with his ex-Ajax manager Erik ten Hag.
However, the ex-Barcelona youth player has struggled to live up to the billing in his initial months at Manchester United. He has overseen four shutouts in 13 matches across competitions, conceding 20 goals.
Speaking to the Mirror, Veltman stated that Onana is not the only one to blame for the Red Devils' sub-par start to the ongoing 2023-24 campaign. He elaborated (h/t Manchester Evening News):
"I would say he is always himself, so just do that. He is an amazing goalkeeper. The results from Manchester United were a bit poor and they would usually have more points than they would have now, 100%. It's not just Onana. He will do a great job."
Asserting that Onana will emulate De Gea's success, Veltman added:
"De Gea was amazing for United and I'm sure Onana will be that as well. He's an amazing goalkeeper, especially on the ball. He did some mistakes but it's also part of the goalkeeper's job. If he makes a mistake, you're done sort of. He will improve and he's improving already. It's a big club and he has to prepare for that."
Veltman, who represented Ajax between 2012 and 2020, has played alongside the Cameroonian goalkeeper in 118 games. The pair shared the pitch for 9665 minutes and contributed to 82 wins for Ajax.
Pep Guardiola defends Manchester United's Erik ten Hag ahead of upcoming showdown
Ahead of Manchester United's clash against Manchester City on Sunday (October 29), Pep Guardiola was asked to opine on Erik ten Hag's poor start to the season. He told reporters (h/t Fabrizio Romano):
"Nine games! Just nine! Manchester United are able to win four, five, six games in a row. When they do that, they'll be on top. They'll be there. Take time. Leave the manager alone to do their jobs. United, still, when something happens are on the highlights all day."
Ten Hag, who left Ajax to join United in the summer of 2022, has been criticized by fans and pundits alike this season. He has managed to guide his team to five wins and four losses in nine Premier League games, and one win and two losses in the UEFA Champions League.
Manchester United are in eighth place in the 2023-24 Premier League table with 15 points – six behind Manchester City.