A goalie who is out of shape has no place to hide. Erik Ten Hag may still publicly defend Andre Onana, but time and patience are not on his side.

Andre Onana was bought for £47.2 million to replace long-serving goalkeeper David De Gea.

Manchester United cannot afford to have a goalie who constantly makes basic mistakes. The longer this goes on, the more vulnerable he becomes.

Outfielders can ease into a new squad and rediscover their finest form. Some recruits can be tolerated for a year before being judged, with managers asking for patience if they struggle early on.

Goalkeepers are too vital to be messed with. As the last line of defense, breakdowns must be isolated incidents rather than a regular pattern.

When keepers lose confidence, everyone notices: fans, teammates, opponents, and the media.

When faith erodes, it quickly becomes a major issue for a team and its management. Great goalkeepers, especially at the largest clubs, may transform defeats into draws and draws into close triumphs. The trick of being a world class keeper for a team pursuing the largest trophies is to do the little you need to do wonderfully well.

Unfortunately for Onana, he was responsible for turning victories into draws and draws into defeats during the outset of his United tenure.

Andre Onana, the goalkeeper for Manchester United, has now conceded 17 goals in his 10 games since joining the club, roughly two more than projected based on the number of shots he has faced.

In the Premier League, concerns were raised early in the season following an unruly penalty call against Wolves.

Unlike in previous great United teams, he has too much to do, and the more he has to deal with, the more likely it is that another error is in the post.

United’s hazardous Champions League situation is a direct result of his mistakes. Onana cost the club both home and away against Galatasaray, and he was ineffective against Bayern Munich in the first group game. Yes, he saved a last-second penalties against Copenhagen at Old Trafford, but the multiple negatives outweighed the one positive.

For a Manchester United goalie, the performance in Turkey was unforgivable. You wouldn’t expect an under-18 goalkeeper to commit the simple handling error that led to Galatasaray’s second goal. If a youth goalkeeper was promoted and performed like Onana on Wednesday night, he would almost certainly never play for the first team again.

Onana has cost Manchester United far too many easy goals. The notion that the worst of his Old Trafford tenure was behind him has been dashed, and Wednesday was a massive step backwards. Onana has already earned a reputation as a liability. That will be difficult to overcome and reverse.

I feel terrible for him on a personal level. The critique is not meant to be harsh. It reflects the high standards that are demanded at the top of the professional game. You can’t play for Manchester United and not be scrutinized, especially when the stakes are as high as they were in Istanbul. Small margins determine the outcome of major matches.

Many of us have been there after a bad game, knowing that your involvement was crucial to the outcome of the game.

I acknowledged responsibility for Liverpool’s Premier League loss to West Ham in January 2008. The game was edging toward a goalless draw. In the final minute, we received a corner, West Ham broke away on the counter-attack, and while chasing Freddie Ljungberg, I clipped him and gave away a penalty.

West Ham triumphed 1-0 thanks to Mark Noble’s goal, and the journey home was dreadful because I was convinced the defeat was entirely my fault.

After 10 years in the Liverpool first team, having credit in the bank provided some solace. Nobody said that would be the end of my Anfield career. Nonetheless, it was a terrible feeling, and nothing could be done to make me feel better.

Onana must have felt the same way at work and on the journey back to Manchester on Wednesday night. It’s not a nice situation, but Ten Hag must be concerned about the future.

Sir Alex Ferguson knew the value of a dependable goalkeeper better than anybody else. Ten Hag may wonder, ‘What would Fergie do?’ There is also enough of stuff to help him.

Ferguson was brutal when it came to his goalkeepers, from Jim Leighton to Massimo Taibi, Mark Bosnich, and Fabian Barthez. It didn’t matter if he signed the number one, even if the fee was reasonable. You were either successful or you were eliminated.

I’ve long believed that Peter Schmeichel was the most crucial, game-changing signing that enabled Ferguson to win his first Premier League title. 

One of Schmeichel’s most memorable United performances came at St James’ Park, where Ten Hag will captain his team on Saturday. In 1996, his performance was crucial in United’s victory over Kevin Keegan’s entertainers.

During his eight-year tenure at Old Trafford, Peter Schmeichel (right) won ten major titles.

Newcastle are an appropriate opponent this Saturday, having benefited greatly from Nick Pope’s consistency. Pope may not be regarded as world class by those outside St James’ Park, but Eddie Howe regards him as one of his most astute purchases. He has played a significant role in Newcastle’s rise from the bottom half of the Premier League to the Champions League.

In midweek, there was a stark contrast between Pope and Onana.

The best keepers instill confidence, while the most vulnerable ones instill fear.

Pep Guardiola’s signing of Ederson elevated Manchester City to a new level. Liverpool went from being a near-miss under Jurgen Klopp to European winners the season they hired Alisson, after losing the winners League final to Loris Karius’ goalkeeping blunders in 2018. After the Kiev final, Karius never played another senior game for the club.

Mikel Arteta’s signing of David Raya was not a frivolous gesture. He evaluated his team and determined that he will not win the championship with Aaron Ramsdale. The verdict on Raya is still out, but it emphasizes the need of a reliable number one.

David de Gea was ready to leave Manchester United last summer. He provided excellent service, but it was natural that the team sought a younger keeper, probably on a smaller salary. Ten Hag also desired someone with better footwork.

Recruiting a subpar goalie, on the other hand, makes no sense. Ten Hag cannot hide the fact that United have suffered as a result of Onana’s needless errors.

It is admirable for a manager to support a player despite rising criticism. There’s also a narrow line between whether that indicates strength or weakness. Onana must significantly improve in the coming weeks and months, or else the focus will move from an unpredictable goalie to the management who continues to select him.