Andre Onana responds to heckles from Man Utd supporters

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has defended his occasional slow release of the ball following criticism from fans, insisting he will continue to make decisions as he sees fit.

Supporters at Old Trafford, where the expectation has long been fast football and chants of "attack, attack, attack" have never been far away over the years if the game isn't being played quickly enough, have expressed frustration with Onana. But the £47m signing has explained himself.

"To be honest, it doesn't affect me because the decision I make is to help the team," the 29-year-old, who kept a clean sheet in the Manchester derby on Sunday, said, highlighting that sometimes slowing the game is to give his teammates a moment to recover.

"But sometimes, especially in the second half with an opponent that has a lot of control, they have more possession than us, I have to let my guys breathe. They need me to do that. If the team needs to speed up the game, I will do it. I try to make the best decision for the team."

Having established himself as one of Europe's best goalkeepers during defining spells at Ajax and Inter, Onana has come under pressure since moving to Manchester in 2023 to reunite with Erik ten Hag. His time at United so far has been a rollercoaster, with plenty of hugely impressive performances also interspersed with costly mistakes.

There has been speculation that Ruben Amorim wants to go in a different direction and even bizarre rumours of a shock David de Gea return after reigniting his career at Fiorentina.

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