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Andre Onana names four Man Utd players who should take criticism
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has reflected on his first season in English football.
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana feels that four senior members of the Red Devils' dressing room should share the criticism levelled at the squad this season, including himself. United's worst-ever Premier League final position was confirmed despite a last-day win at Brighton on Sunday, as Onana claimed a clean sheet during their 2-0 victory on the south coast.
An eighth-placed finish marks a big step down from Erik ten Hag's first season at Old Trafford, where he and United sat in third alongside a Carabao Cup victory. More silverware could arrive by defeating neighbours Manchester City in this week's FA Cup final, but United enter the match as considerable underdogs.
Waves of criticism have dogged United throughout the campaign due to their perceived underperformance, slipping from third to eighth within 12 months, with Ten Hag's future on the line following the arrival of new decision-makers INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
But Onana feels that the club's senior leadership group of himself, captain Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire and Casemiro are the ones who should take the blame.
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When asked by Gary Neville on The Overlap how he felt about criticism by former United players aimed at the team, Onana replied: "For me, I don’t pay attention to it. I have come into this team to take bullets, because we are under construction – at the moment, we are not the best.
"We have other teams who are doing better than us and we have to be honest and recognize that. If things and when things are going wrong, don’t go for the youngest player – I'm here to take it, Bruno, Casemiro and Harry are there and we are used to it.
“When it’s people who were sitting where I’m sitting, who won everything, sometimes it’s bizarre – we are in the same boat. We try to follow your thing and what you did. For me, I don’t mind, but other people may be affected. For me, to be honest, it’s just a part of the game."
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United can end their underwhelming season on a positive note, however, by defeating local rivals City at Wembley and not only lifting the title - but also securing a spot in the Europa League in the process.
And Onana wants to take the game to Pep Guardiola's outfit. "It’s a very important game for us, especially as you are in the final and people only remember the winner," he added.
"We are going there to win, we are Manchester United. We cannot go thinking that we are going to lose otherwise it’s better to not step onto the pitch. We’re there to win, we have important players, good players with a lot of personality and experience.”