"We didn’t win enough games, it’s simple" - Manchester United star Andre Onana speaks out after Ten Hag sacking
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has shared his thoughts on the sacking of Erik ten Hag. The Dutch tactician was relieved of his duties as Red Devils' head coach after the team's 2-1 defeat to West Ham United on October 27.
The Manchester side have had a shaky start to the new campaign and are placed 13th in the Premier League standings. However, Ten Hag seemingly forged some strong bonds with players at the club, and Onana seems to be one of them.
The former Inter Milan shot-stopper was signed by the ex-Ajax boss at Old Trafford in the summer of 2023. Speaking about Ten Hag, Onana said at a press conference (via GOAL):
"When I heard he was leaving I felt bad, it's not always easy to understand why a manager is leaving.
"I worried about him, I have a very good relationship with him. Why things didn’t work here? We didn’t win enough games, it’s simple. At a high level it’s not easy and sometimes you have to pay the price. We worked hard, tried everything and did our best but it didn’t work."
While Ten Hag did not manage to bring home the biggest trophies during his tenure at Manchester United, he won two honors. After joining the club in the summer of 2022, he won the Carabao Cup in his first campaign while claiming the FA Cup in his second.
Sporting manager Ruben Amorim has now been appointed at the Red Devils' next head coach and will be assuming his role from November 11 onwards.
Andre Onana says Manchester United players can adapt to Ruben Amorim's style of play
Manchester United seem geared up for a change in style of play with Ruben Amorim coming in. The Portuguese coach seemingly prefers a back three as opposed to the more traditional back four set-up.
In his final Champions League match in charge of Sporting, Amorim recorded a 4-1 win over the mighty Manchester City on Tuesday (November 5). Speaking about this new system, Onana said (via The Guardian):
"Different system, but the players, my teammates, we are all pragmatic. I think everyone here is capable to play in each system, so I don’t think this will be any issue for us. We have big players, so they will step up."
Sporting will travel to Braga for Amorim's final match as boss of the club on Sunday (November 10). They are currently atop the Liga Portugal standings, three points clear of second-placed Porto.