When Andre Onana vociferously expressed his frustration at Harry Maguire for an error during Manchester United's pre-season match against Borussia Dortmund in Nevada, it seemed like Erik ten Hag had brought in a goalkeeper who shared his exact mindset.

Ten Hag's decision to part ways with long-serving David de Gea in the summer, following a season marred by errors, reflected his determination to restore Manchester United's former glory. The manner of De Gea's exit is a separate debate, but Ten Hag received praise for following in the footsteps of managers like Pep Guardiola, who made a tough call with Joe Hart, and Jurgen Klopp, who did the same with Loris Karius.

De Gea remains a free agent, and some Manchester United fans may be questioning whether his departure benefited him or the club. Onana, on the other hand, has already accumulated a list of mistakes almost as long as De Gea's from the entire previous season, and it's only October. While his blunder in a pre-season clash with Lens, where he was lobbed from the halfway line, might be forgiven due to the high line he plays, he was undeniably fortunate not to concede a last-minute penalty in the opening night victory over Wolves.

Manchester United struggles

His error against Bayern Munich left him visibly distraught, and in Tuesday's defeat to Galatasaray, he nearly dropped a cross onto an attacker's boot in the second half. Contrary to modern football, Onana was not recruited primarily for his shot-stopping abilities. His handling, which has already cost Manchester United occasionally, is considered secondary to his ball distribution skills. While supporters initially witnessed his pinpoint accuracy with kicking and passing, even that aspect of his game now seems plagued by clumsiness.

His disastrous pass against Galatasaray led to a penalty against Manchester United, and teammate Casemiro's early exit would have felt more comfortable with a missed shot from Mauro Icardi. Icardi redeemed himself with a delicate chip over Onana, who went to the ground prematurely. Those who followed Onana at Ajax and Inter consistently mention his abundant character and tendency to make errors. As one Dutch football expert noted, “In the Premier League, if you make a mistake, people will jump on it, and it's how he responds to that.”

Thus far, there hasn't been much of a bounce-back. The mistake against Bayern appears to have unsettled the 6ft 3in goalkeeper. He hasn't met the pre-season standards he set for himself and his teammates. Speaking after the defeat to Dortmund in the US, Onana addressed the incident with Maguire, stating, “I demand a lot from my teammates because they also demand a lot and trust in me. They play many balls back to me, so I have to give them confidence, and I want my players to give me confidence.”

The problem is that mistakes are not being learned from; instead, they appear to be multiplying. Moreover, Onana does not seem to be instilling confidence in his teammates. Jamie Carragher took issue with Onana's berating of Maguire, suggesting that he was trying to win favor with the fans, given that the defender is already struggling with his form. Manchester United supporters are once again in need of reassurance. As for Maguire, he might be relieved not to be the scapegoat during yet another period of on-field defensive struggles at the club.