Manchester United, currently grappling with underperformance, is marred by growing discord between the players and their coach, Erik ten Hag.
Last season, Erik ten Hag had a well-publicized fallout with Cristiano Ronaldo, leading to a fiery critique from the Portuguese star in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
As the new campaign commenced, discord persisted among the players, notably with Jadon Sancho, who found himself ostracized from the Manchester United squad after publicly reacting to Ten Hag’s decision to leave him out against Arsenal in September. However, Sancho is not the sole target of the manager’s frustrations.
Ten Hag is reportedly displeased with the decision of Andre Onana to return to the Cameroon national team in September. The coach believed that Onana should have prioritized advancing his career at Manchester United instead.
During the 2022 World Cup, Cameroon’s manager, Rigobert Song, sent Onana home from the tournament after just two group games due to disciplinary issues, exacerbated by the goalkeeper’s apparent discontent with the team’s playing style. Astonishingly, Onana retired from international football in December 2022, at the young age of 26.
Despite his earlier differences with Song, Onana made a comeback to the national team for Cameroon’s September international against Burundi. Ten Hag is reportedly irked by this decision, especially considering Onana’s challenging start at Manchester United.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper, who was acquired by the Red Devils in the summer for £47 million, has encountered numerous difficulties, marked by several on-field mistakes. His participation in the Africa Cup of Nations in January is likely, implying he will miss at least two matches, and potentially more depending on Cameroon’s performance.
In Onana’s absence, Altay Bayindir is poised to take on the role of the primary goalkeeper for Manchester United. The Turkish player arrived from Fenerbahce, where he had established himself as a reliable option, but is yet to make his debut under Erik ten Hag’s management following his summer transfer.