Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana revealed that it took him six months “to feel good” at Old Trafford.
United signed Onana from Inter Milan for £47.2m in July, replacing four-time club player of the year David de Gea.
Despite high expectations, the Cameroon international struggled initially, being chipped from 50 yards on his Old Trafford debut against Lens and making several errors that contributed to the club’s poor Premier League performance and Champions League group-stage elimination.
Onana’s form only began to improve significantly after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in February. While he has made the occasional mistake, he is now considered one of the more dependable members of manager Erik ten Hag’s squad as they prepare for Saturday’s FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City (15:00 BST).
“I arrived as the best goalkeeper in the world and ‘boom’ it went down. It was like ‘what happened?’,” said the 28-year-old.
“But that is how difficult football is sometimes. It depends if you want to stay down there or stand up and fight. I know what I did to arrive here. I know who I am. I decided to stand up and fight.”
Onana points to team-mate Marcus Rashford as an example of why players should avoid extreme judgments.
Last season, Rashford scored a career-high 30 goals. This term, he has managed eight and didn’t even make England boss Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man European Championship squad, let alone the final cut.
“We are talking about the same player,” said Onana. “So now he’s a bad player? No. You can have a bad season or a bad start but the most important thing is how you end.
“Rashy, for me, is one of the best players in the world. But he is facing difficulty. It’s not only him and me but the whole club.
“But he will come back. I know my killer will score some important goals for us. Hopefully against City he will score two and we win the FA Cup.”
‘I don’t mind facing 20 or 30 shots’
The apprehension among some United fans about a second consecutive FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City stems from the sheer number of chances their team concedes.
Between March and April, there was a seven-game streak where the opposition had at least 20 shots per match on Onana’s goal.
In their last encounter with City in March, United had just three shots compared to their opponents’ 27 in a 3-1 defeat.
Onana believes this is largely due to the changes Ten Hag has had to make to his defense.
The partnership between Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez that started against Brighton on May 19 was the 15th different central defensive combination United have used this season. No partnership has started more than four consecutive games.
“I don’t mind facing 20 or 30 shots,” said Onana. “I am very happy with what my team-mates are doing because a lot of them make sacrifices for the team.
“It would be nice to have everyone back but what can we do? Hide? We are a big club. We have to go on the front foot and deal with difficulties. I am positive. I know things will get better. If not today, tomorrow.”
Onana pays little attention to the overwhelming odds favoring City to repeat their triumph from 12 months ago when United conceded the fastest goal in FA Cup final history after just 12 seconds.
Having been part of the Inter Milan side that made life exceptionally difficult for City in last season’s Champions League final, Onana knows what it takes to challenge them. Inter were the better team for periods before ultimately losing to Rodri’s decisive strike.
Saturday’s match holds significant importance for Ten Hag, whose future at United remains uncertain.
Onana, familiar with the Dutchman from their five-year tenure together at Ajax, understands Ten Hag’s strategies well. Both left Ajax in the same summer, with Ten Hag joining United as Onana headed to Italy.
“I’m not here to back him because he’s big enough to back himself,” said Onana. “But he’s a really good guy, a positive coach and tactically he is good.
“If he had all his squad together, it would probably be different for him, for us, the club and the fans.
“We know how good City are. They are the best team at the moment and we lost twice to them already.
“But we are motivated. Beating them wouldn’t make it a successful season. Playing for this club, I don’t think winning the FA Cup is enough.
“But it would make things look better. We go there to win.”