Andre Onana blasted as one of Man Utd’s worst-ever goalkeepers by Nemanja Matic after bold Lyon claim | Football News

Andre Onana responded to Nemanja Matic calling him “one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history” by poking enjoyable on the Lyon midfielder’s lack of silverware at Outdated Trafford.

Onana’s daring declare that United have been “way better” than Lyon prompted the disagreement with Matic forward of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Matic, who spent 5 years at Outdated Trafford, brutally hit again at Onana in his pre-match information convention on Wednesday.

“If you’re one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history then you need to take care of what you are talking about,” Matic mentioned.

“If David De Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar said that I would question myself but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s modern history, he needs to show that before he says it.”

Onana, who received the FA Cup in his first season at United after signing from Inter Milan for round £47m, was fast to reply with a pointed remark about Matic’s lack of silverware at Outdated Trafford.

“I would never be disrespectful to another club,” Onana wrote in a publish on social media.

“We know that [Thursday] will be a difficult game against a strong opponent. We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud.

“At the very least I’ve lifted trophies with the best membership on the earth. Some cannot say the identical.”

Signed by Jose Mourinho in 2017 for £40m, Matic did, the truth is, spend 5 trophyless years at Outdated Trafford.

He additionally featured in sides that completed second within the Premier League in 2017/18 beneath Mourinho and in 2020/21 beneath Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Onana, in the meantime, was United’s beginning goalkeeper for his or her FA Cup win over Man Metropolis beneath Erik ten Hag.

United have been additionally eighth in Onana’s first season, their worst end of the Premier League period. That document is in peril of being damaged once more, with the group at present thirteenth with seven video games left to play.

What did Onana say about Lyon?

Onana was in assured temper when he spoke to the press after holding his ninth Premier League clear sheet of the season in Sunday’s drab derby draw with Manchester Metropolis.

Requested about Lyon forward of Thursday’s quarter-final first leg, he mentioned: “It’s a very good team. We know some of them but I don’t think we have to focus on them. It’s more about us, what we’re going to do.

“I believe we’re higher than them, we simply need to go there and present who we’re. If we go there with a profitable mentality and we’re targeted, keep compact and collectively and we observe the sport plan we shall be profitable the sport.

“Of course, it’s not going to be easy, but I think we are way better than them. We all know the importance of this game, we will go there with the winning mentality, it’s not our best season but we still have something to win and we will go for it.”

Evaluation: A jaw-dropping press convention change

Sky Sports activities Information’ Melissa Reddy in Lyon:

It’s a uncommon prevalence to be sat in a press convention, and be utterly shocked – eyes as extensive because the room itself, solely competing with the stretch of your mouth and a long-held breath.

When Nemanja Matic started his response to Andre Onana’s assertion that Manchester United are “way better” than Lyon, it had a really feel of Eminem’s “he didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?”

There have been solely two UK-based journalists current on the media briefing, Simon Peach from the PA and myself. After we seemed across the room earlier than Matic arrived, we thought it will be fairly a low-key affair as the whole variety of journalists current was not in double digits.

We had a fast chat about what we thought we would have liked to ask Matic that hadn’t been lined in his current interviews. He was Ruben Amorim’s team-mate at Benfica, and I needed to discover that relationship and what traits the Portuguese had as a participant that translated to teaching.

Simon was the journalist who had requested Onana what he was anticipating from Lyon within the combined zone on Sunday and understandably needed to listen to Matic’s response.

The expectation was the midfielder would merely say ‘we wish to show him flawed on the pitch’. As a substitute, Matic pulled a web page out of Mourinho’s playbook in a solution his former supervisor would afford a standing ovation.

Earlier than he uttered a phrase, his face hinted at what was to come back. Matic began answering the query… “To say that, you need to have cover for something like that.” Then, with a tone that screamed ‘severely?’, he checked out Simon, and requested “Onana?,” earlier than puffing his cheeks.

The knockout quickly adopted: “When you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man Utd’s history, you need to take care with what you’re talking about… If De Gea, or Peter Schmeichel or Van der Sar say that, I will question myself but when you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s modern history, you need to show up first before you say that.”

Matic didn’t flinch as he went in studs up, two-footed and off the bottom. I used to be instructed afterwards that the Lyon group have been already conscious of the quote and it was offering dressing room motivation.

Onana’s response, shared on X, had a zinger of a remaining line.

His quote on Sunday was extra over optimistic and constructive forward of an enormous recreation, fairly than disrespectful. His social media publish, nonetheless, was spicy.

Can he again it up on the pitch and can the sport be as explosive?

Till we discover out, I shall be choosing my jaw up off the ground.