Focus on goalkeepers as Man United, Man City clash in derby
This is proof of the speed with which things can change at different times this summer, Ruben Amorim and Pep Guardiola, Manchester United and Manchester City managers, insisted that they were satisfied with their goalkeepers.
Quick advance to the first Manchester derby of the season, which takes place on Sunday, and Guardiola weighs if Gianluigi Donnarumma will make his debut at the Etihad stadium. Amorim opted for his n ° 2 last season, Altay Bayindir, to play before the signing of the Senne Lammens deadline in Antwerp. Bayindir is preferred, according to Amorim, because he has more experience.
Donnarumma, if it is selected, is unlikely to face a moment more pressure in his career in town than to make his first appearance in the Premier League against United. His curriculum vitae is not in doubt after a decade at the highest level with AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. There is a debate on the question of whether the Italian is good enough with the ball at his feet to integrate into the Guardiola system.
In one way or another, goalkeepers at both ends of the field on Sunday will be one of the discussion points in the afternoon.
– O’Hanlon: The worst Manchester derby is upon us.
– Darke: Early Prem to remember: Reason to doubt Liverpool?
– Connelly: How the pretenders to the Premier League can succeed
UNITED mixed messaging
It is tempting to think that United had a clear plan with their goalkeepers. For most of the summer, André Onana thought he would remain the starter. He accepted Amorim’s decision to leave him outside the first match of United against Arsenal after missing most of the pre-season due to an injury to the hamstrings.
Onana was surprised that he did not return to the next match against Fulham – especially after Bayindir made an expensive mistake during the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal. After the match, Amorim said he was satisfied with Onana, Bayindir and Tom Heaton, 39, as three goalkeepers. Onana then made two mistakes in the shocking defeat of the Carabao Cup against Grimsby Town.
Onana remained convinced that he would be the starter until the last weekend before the transfer date, when Amorim chose Bayindir in his departure XI to play Burnley, and United intensified their intensity to sign Lammens. After rejecting the interest of Monaco and Galatasaray, Cameroon International Onana moved to Trabzonspor to make sure that it obtains a regular playing time.
1:03
Amorim: the pressure to play for man utd was difficult for onana
Ruben Amorim talks about the pressure of playing for Manchester United after confirmation of the move of Andre Onana’s loan to Trabzonspor.
Onana’s departure barely two years after his move of 43.8 million pounds sterling from Inter Milan left Amorim to choose between Bayindir and Lammens to face City. This time, Bayindir won the battle. The international of Turkey has only made seven premier appearances since its move from Fenerbahce in 2023 and sometimes looks trembling this season. Any Silpage at Etihad, and the clamor among the fans of Lammens will only intensify.
Lammens: GK of the future or the present?
In private, United temperated the expectations around the arrival of Lammens, 23 years old and stressed that he was considered a project with a high ceiling rather than the director of n ° 1 ready.
Lammens did not make its complete debut for Belgium and has only one full season in the Belgian Pro League. But due to continuous doubts about Bayindir, some supporters believe that Lammens must play immediately. Many wanted him to start against City, even if it meant having his first taste of the Premier League in the cauldron of a derby.
Lammens would not have been the first goalkeeper united to make his debut in a big match. Massimo Taibi made his debut during a 3-2 victory against Liverpool in September 1999, less than two weeks after his 4.5 million Sterling pounds move from Venezia. Although he is at fault for one of Liverpool’s goals, Taibi made three good stops and was appointed man of the match in Anfield.
But these were only four league appearances for Taibi in United, as a howler in a 3-3 draw against Southampton and in a 5-0 defeat against Chelsea to Stamford Bridge ended his career in Old Trafford prematurely. In January, he was back in Italy on loan in Reggina, proof of the difficulty of being the No. 1 difficulty of United.
Regarding the reason why the Uana’s move from Inter Milan did not work, Amorim hinted that the goalkeeper could not face the spotlights who accompany what Gary Neville thinks of being “the most difficult work in English football”.
“In this club, the pressure is sometimes so difficult on all the details,” said Amorim on Friday. For the moment, all eyes are on Bayindir.
City facing their own questions
Guardiola is no stranger to launch a goalkeeper in depth in a Manchester derby.
After his arrival in 2016, the new boss of the city quickly abandoned the n ° 1 Joe Hart and replaced him by Claudio Bravo. The Chilean international made his first appearance against United in Old Trafford after a move of 17 million pounds sterling in Barcelona. City won 2-1, but Bravo was at fault for the goal of United, dropping a high bullet and allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score.
1:44
Nicol: The derby defeat could define the chances of the title of Man City
Steve Nicol explains the potential impacts of a Manchester Derby defeat in the hope of Man City to challenge the title of Premier League.
Subsequently, Guardiola defended Bravo, insisting that he had been signed to “play in our accumulation” – something he quickly decided that Hart could not do. Bravo did not last long, but Guardiola’s preference for a goalkeeper playing the ball finally led City to Ederson. The Brazilian international arrived in 2017 and helped Guardiola win 18 major trophies in nine years, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
At the beginning of the summer, Guardiola said he expected Ederson to remain at least a year more. He was wrong, and Ederson’s departure from Fenerbahce on the day of the deadline was quickly followed by the arrival of Donnarumma. The Italian international is considered one of the best in the world, but he raises questions about what it means for Guardiola tactics.
Ederson’s capacity on the ball meant that he could almost work as an 11th outdoor field player. Donnarumma is considered a big shot, but it is not as comfortable on the ball as Ederson. This is one of the reasons why the PSG coach, Luis Enrique, replaced him by Lucas Chevalier de Lille during the summer.
Last season, the precision of the passes before Ederson in Ligue 1 and the Champions League was 73%. Donnarumma was 56%. The long precision of Ederson (all 32 meters or more) was 57% against 40% for Donnarumma. In the overall precision of the passes, the precision of the goal, the passes by 90 minutes, the front passes by 90 minutes and the chances created, Ederson evaluated above.
Donnarumma is capable with his feet, but he is not Ederson.
“I will not ask [Donnarumma] do something that he is uncomfortable [with]Friday, “Guardiola said at a press conference.” We are talking about the best player I have ever seen in the short and long distribution in Ederson. We did not take [Donnarumma] To do what Ederson did. He has other qualities. “”
Guardiola could choose James Trafford against United after joining City in an agreement of 27 million pounds from Burnley in summer. Trafford grew up learning Guardiola’s philosophy at the City Academy and played for one of his disciples of coaches, Vincent Kompany, at Turf Moor. The 22 -year -old started the three Premier League games this season, but it is unlikely that Donnarumma agreed to move to Manchester just to sit on the bench.
The development of the goalkeeper is ready to continue
Amorim spared Lammens a baptism of fire against the city. Guardiola says he still decides if Trafford will keep his place or that Donnarumma should enter directly.
The questions are unlikely to disappear. Speaking during their prematch, Amorim and Guardiola press conferences left the door open for changes. Amorim said Bayindir and Lammens “will fight for the [No. 1] Position, “while Guardiola noted”, the season is so long, everyone will be involved. They may not believe it, but they will. “”
Any error at ETIHAD and the changes will come as soon as possible.
