Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage lay into Andre Onana after another nightmare Man United performance saw the goalkeeper play his part in two more errors leading to goals

Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage singled out Andre Onana for his ‘non-existent’ communication with Patrick Dorgu in the build up to Jaden Philogene’s opening goal for Ipswich at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening. 

Man United ran out the 3-2 winners on home turf, but their three points were not won without strife, with Ruben Amorim‘s players behind in the opening five minutes courtesy of Philogene’s strike. 

An own goal from Sam Morsy helped the teams get back onto level footing before Matthijs de Ligt could help the hosts into the lead, but United were hampered by a risky challenge from January recruit Patrick Dorgu that saw the defender handed a straight red card. 

With the home side in disarray, Ipswich pounced in added time before the break, with a winner from Harry Maguire necessary in the second-half to give United their slender lead. 

But before Dorgu was handed his marching orders, Savage and Ferdinand held him responsible for Man United’s early slip – alongside another of his team-mates, goalkeeper Andre Onana. 

‘Wow,’ Savage wondered aloud on commentary for TNT Sports. ‘Dorgu has tracked the run and the communication between Onana and Dorgu must be non-existent. 

The former Inter Milan goalkeeper was at fault for Jaden Philogene’s third-minute opener

‘Credit to Jaden Philogene, the desire… he’s onside. But I’ve got no idea why Onana is running out to that position. Dorgu has got it under control, no problem at all. He shouldn’t come there, Onana!

‘I might be completely wrong but stay. The defender has got it under control so stay in your six-yard box. Credit to Philogene. What a start from Ipswich.

‘The defender has got it under control. I don’t think there is a reason why Onana comes out there,’ Savage continued. 

‘You should be talking, lay it back to him on his right foot and then he can clear it. I don’t know why he’s come. The defender is in control… Onana, stay in your goal.’

Ferdinand was similarly critcial of the Man United ‘keeper’s decision making, adding that Onana had ‘no need’ to come in and interfere with Dorgu. 

‘A terrible start. I don’t think Dorgu, at any moment, looks up to sees where Onana is,’ Ferdinand added. 

‘Onana doesn’t need to come in. The full-back is in complete control and he can just hold his ground and let him play it back to him.

‘But Dorgu doesn’t look, the awareness isn’t there and it’s pounced on. Ipswich took a deserved lead for pouncing on that lack of communication.’

Onana also saw another scored past him by Philogene but Man United claimed the eventual win

Onana has endured a tricky campaign for the Red Devils, with former United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi suggesting in December that the former Ajax star was not cut out for the English game. 

‘I’d be straight to the point and tell him, “Andre, you are one of the best keepers in Europe but in the Premier League, you are under-performing. Block out criticism, do some soul-searching, press the reset and go again. And if things don’t change by June, move on”,’ Taibi said. 

‘I think subconsciously the United environment isn’t ideal for him and when a marriage is showing cracks, it’s pointless to continue. Sometimes things don’t work out at a team and it’s best to go separate ways, which would not be a failure.

‘For me he’s a strong goalkeeper who finds himself in a situation where he can’t show his skills because he is not cut out for the English game. He’s only suited to the Prem when it comes to his ball-playing ability and structure.’