Online Reporter
A REFUSAL to sign a goalkeeper − any keeper − has bitten Manchester United firmly on the backside.
The club’s recruitment team have been so obsessed by boosting their firepower this summer they failed to address the hugely important issue that is lurking right under their noses.
Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, which featured another embarrassing cock-up by Altay Bayindir, once again proved Ruben Amorim must sign a new keeper over the next couple of weeks.
United’s technical director Jason Wilcox needs to make up his mind whether to bring in either a new No 1 or, at the very least, a decent back-up.
Yet you get the impression there is a chance United might not bother bringing anyone in − and that would be an unforgivable mistake.
The club can forget about their complete transformation, which is the reason they have spent big at the other end of the pitch, unless they address an obvious problem which is becoming embarrassing.
Back-up keeper Bayindir only played against Arsenal on Sunday due to the fact Amorim felt Andre Onana − despite having recovered from a hamstring injury − was not fit enough to return immediately because of a lack of games in pre-season. This is fair enough.
After the loss to Arsenal, Amorim reacted with bemusement to a perfectly legitimate question over whether United’s third-choice Tom Heaton should have started ahead of Turkish stopper Bayindir as he has played more Premier League games.
Bayindir produced some weak goalkeeping from Declan Rice’s corner just 13 minutes in at Old Trafford − getting a touch but allowing the ball to loop up and goalwards, gifting Riccardo Calafiori the chance to touch it over the line.
This is the same keeper who was beaten directly from a Son Heung-min corner in the chaotic 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final loss at Tottenham last December.
A few weeks earlier than that, in Amorim’s first Premier League defeat as manager, Onana and his team conceded two goals at corners in another Premier League defeat to Arsenal.
United’s keeper coach is Jorge Vital, who arrived with Amorim from Sporting.
While the manager’s English is just outstanding, it seems as though Vital is still getting to grips with the language.
Vital, you may remember, was mentioned when Amorim − in an extraordinary dig at Marcus Rashford − said he would have preferred to select the 64-year-old over any player who did not meet his standards.
Some United fans, including Neville, would love to see Gianlugi Donnarumma join the club but this seems unlikely.
Donnarumma not the answer
For a start, his wages are massive and secondly, although he is an extraordinary shot-stopper and is brilliant at saving penalties, he is not perfect.
The Italian is not great with the ball at his feet and he can also be suspect at high balls into the area.
This is why Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has decided new arrival Lucas Chevalier has a better “profile” for his team − Sun.
