Manchester United star slammed for making ‘Under-12’ mistakes

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been accused of making ‘Under-12’ mistakes as Ruben Amorim’s side continue to struggle in the Premier League.

Any hopes that United would enjoy a new manager bounce under Amorim have quickly disappeared, the Red Devils taking just seven points from his six league games in charge.

The underwhelming start to Amorim’s managerial career has left Manchester United 14th in the Premier League, 20 points behind arch-rivals Liverpool and just eight points above the relegation zone.

During United’s defeat to Wolves on Boxing Day, Matheus Cunha became the second player in three games to score directly from a corner against a Red Devils goalkeeper.

A flapping Onana failed to keep out Cunha’s corner, just as Altay Bayindir did against Tottenham and Spurs captain Son-Heung-min in the Carabao Cup defeat last week.

Ex-Premier League striker Chris Sutton has described the goalkeeping errors as ‘Under-12 stuff’ and says they will not help Amorim’s cause at Old Trafford.

Manchester United will be desperate to return to winning ways on Monday night when they host Newcastle United but Sutton expects the visitors to secure another win to pile the pressure on ex-Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim.

Following a wobble, Newcastle have won their last four games by an aggregate of 14-1 to climb to fifth in the Premier League and reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Looking ahead to Newcastle’s trip to Manchester, Sutton told BBC Sport: ‘I said before Christmas that I thought Newcastle would hit their stride and they have done exactly that.

‘The way they are playing, they should win at Old Trafford and make it four league wins in a row.

‘Manchester United’s form is the exact opposite. I am not concerned about Amorim getting the sack but it really does not help when your goalkeeper keeps on conceding goals direct from a corner – that is under-12s stuff.

‘I remember it happening when I was watching my son play when he was about 15 and he got done off a corner.

‘I told him you would never see it happen to a professional goalkeeper, but it has happened twice in two weeks to Manchester United – first to Altay Bayindir and then Andre Onana. You could not make it up.

‘I need to apologise here though, because I was far too kind to Manchester United last week when I said they would get a draw at Wolves.

‘Their fans give me so much stick on social media whenever I say they will lose that it must have got to me a bit – I have become a bit of a chicken and have put them down to get a draw when my gut feeling has been for them to lose.

‘That has got to stop, because they are rubbish. That is not on Amorim because we will judge him when he has a chance to bring in his own players but, for now, we have to see them for what they are, which is a really poor side.’

Amorim was asked about his team’s problems against set-pieces after the Wolves defeat and said: ‘After a defeat, I don’t want to talk about that, but you can see that every corner nowadays is an opportunity.

‘Sometimes you forget the small guys and the talented guys. You put 11 guys to corners or free-kicks if you can do everything inside the box.

‘But those are the rules and we must not cry about it but do the same thing.

‘So we have to focus on doing the same thing to the opponent. That is my goal at the moment.’

Asked if his side needed ‘bigger players’, Amorim replied: ‘No, what I’m saying is that if set-pieces are becoming so important, you can do everything, so we have to learn it and do the same thing, even with the small guys.

‘We just have to copy and do the same thing and not try to change the rules – just use the rules to also score goals at set-pieces.’

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