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Extended Clip - Who Is Andre Onana? The Inter Milan Goalkeeper Who Could Join Man Utd Or Chelsea
1.2k Plays2 years ago
With Inter Milan Champions League hero André Onana being linked to a move to Premier League giants Manchester United, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese do a profile deep-dive on the Cameroon goalkeeper.
This is an extended clip from this weeks free Monday episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google podcasts.
To listen to ALL complete episodes of The Italian Football Podcast, go to Patreon.com/TIFP and become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
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Transcript
Introduction to the Italian Football Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast.
Focus on Transfer Profiles
00:00:06
Speaker
We've been doing a lot of transfer profiles in recent weeks, obviously, because it's the transfer market.
Andre Onana's Potential Move to the Premier League
00:00:11
Speaker
So let's just do one on Andre Onana, who, of course, is very well known, but maybe not so well known among Premier League fans. It looks like Onana is going to be probably moving to the Premier League this summer to Manchester United.
Onana's Goalkeeping Skills and Tactical Impact
00:00:25
Speaker
Manchester United want to sign him. So first of all, for United fans, what will they be getting from Onana?
00:00:33
Speaker
They will be getting the best goalkeeper in the world in terms of the ball at his feet in the build-up phase. There is no one like him. There are some of the passes this guy plays. It's like playing with Pirlo in goal. It's bizarre. He's so, so good. And I'm not just talking in terms of the long balls in the air. I'm talking even 50-yard passes on the ground.
00:00:58
Speaker
the awareness and the ability to execute that this guy has. If the midfielders and the strikers are intelligent enough to pick up and move,
00:01:11
Speaker
in terms of their movement and can find those runs, he will pick them out. And just to stress the importance of that, Nimr, Guardiola said, even ahead of the Champions League final, that he basically wasn't even going to attempt to do an ultra-high press against Inter's defence, because when you play against a team that has a goalkeeper that's so good with his feet, as Onana, it's basically impossible to press him that high with that ultra-high press. Which I find,
00:01:40
Speaker
I mean, I bow to Pep because he has become the master of press. I never thought he would have that much of an impact. Obviously, it's important, but if Pep's saying it, then he knows. Well, of course it is, because if you press high up and you have someone that is so good with the ball at his feet, he's just one simple pass and he's played past every line of press. Of course, yeah. But you still need your defenders to be able to play out as well.
Onana's Strengths and Weaknesses
00:02:04
Speaker
But yeah, it is very, very important. And for Manny Knighton, who have David De Gea, who
00:02:09
Speaker
Who is very bad with his feet and and pretend happy likes to have and you're actually coached on Anna to have that it will add an extra dimension Oh for sure and the fact that you know, they know each other from my axe as well and no, it's I think Manchester United are getting in the in the in the attacking phase there they're essentially gonna have 11 outfield players with on Anna if they get him and
00:02:32
Speaker
And I think there are red flags in terms of aerially, meaning when the ball is played into the penalty area, crosses, I think that's his weakness. I think sometimes he misjudges and he flaps a bit, doesn't he? Yeah, flaps, exactly that.
00:02:49
Speaker
But as a shot stopper, his reflexes are great. One thing I really rate him for is his ability to not give rebounds straight out. He pushes rebounds whenever he gives them to his sides, which is incredibly important. That he's already got down.
00:03:07
Speaker
But in terms of the build-up phase, the guy is just... He's the best in the world. There is no one who's as good as him with a ball at his feet. No one. And he's going to help Manchester, and he's going to be... They're going to have 11 outfield players if they sign him, because he can be that... If you look at what happens with Inter, they play a 4-5-2, because Onana becomes the right centre-back.
00:03:27
Speaker
in a back four and the right center back in the back three becomes a full back the wing backs become wingers and you can push forward like that with him and it's it's truly truly fantastic to see now he is he's he's the attacking phase part of his game is simply world class and it's the evolution of
00:03:48
Speaker
Football. This is something new. We've never seen a goalkeeper play like this. I think he does a disservice to him that everybody only seems to talk about how good he is with his feet. I mean, he's a fantastic goalkeeper overall as well. And he's commanding. I love his personality. I love that. He's a mentality monster.
Onana's Champions League Performance and Premier League Prospects
00:04:07
Speaker
Yeah. And I love how cool he is as well. He gives calm to the defence. He makes the defence.
00:04:13
Speaker
play better. I mean, I don't need to tell you how different in terms of how well the inter-defense play when he's there and when the hand damage is there regardless of whether the keeper makes any saves or not. And he's just somebody that's very confident in his abilities and who belongs on the big stage. And we saw his performances in the Champions League, in the big matches. He was the best goalkeeper in the Champions League. Best goalkeeper in the Champions League, more clean sheets than anyone.
00:04:38
Speaker
I think it was eight in total. Last season had some massive games on the route to the final, especially against Porto in the last 16. He's in the peak of his career. He's 26, 27, I think now, years old.
00:04:56
Speaker
It could even play him up front, Manny Nighter. They need a striker. I saw a video of him that went viral, of him telling Dumfries how to shoot. Teaching Dumfries how to play football, essentially. You should probably keep him and play him with the right wing back and just buy a new goalkeeper and sell Dumfries. But it's not... I set that up on purpose. Of course you do. I think I don't know that.
00:05:22
Speaker
No, he is unbelievable in the attacking phase. Yes, he's a good shot-stopper and all that too, but the build-up phase is truly remarkable.
Inter's Decision to Sell Onana
00:05:31
Speaker
But I think in the Premier League he's going to let in some howlers in area league because sometimes he flaps until he masters that fully. But in the build-up stage and the mentality he has and his attitude and
00:05:45
Speaker
winning mentality that he has, and the leadership he shows, the leadership he shows on the pitch is just inter-making a gargantuan mistake by selling him.
00:05:55
Speaker
Especially if they're so... Are you resigned to them losing them? Or do you think there is a chance they could? I'm not resigned. I'm not resigned because I'm not resigned. I think there's much more to this. But I think they are making a gargantuan mistake if they sell him. And especially so if they sell him to buy Romelu Lukaku on a permanent basis. That's suicide to me. That is just mental. I don't understand that. I don't see that happening. I think Marotta's too shrewd to do something like that.
00:06:19
Speaker
Well, I hope so. But at this stage, I don't exclude anything. But we'll see.