Goalkeeper André Onana has taken the blame for Manchester United’s 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich in Wednesday night’s Champions League.
The Cameroonian keeper was at fault for Bayern’s opening goal of the game after a fairly straightforward shot from ex-Man City star Leroy Sané slipped through his fingers.
Despite getting back into the game through Rasmus Højlund‘s first goal for the club, United suffered even more misfortune when new signing Harry Kane scored a penalty following Christian Eriksen’s accidental handball, and the away side once again found themselves chasing a two-goal deficit.
The final few minutes of the game got even more frantic, with Casemiro pulling another one back for Erik ten Hag‘s side, Bayern hitting the post twice before and eventually adding a fourth through substitute Mathys Tel, only for the former Real Madrid midfielder to grab another with the last kick of the game.
While luck played its part at either end of the pitch, both good and bad, Onana came out after the game to state that it was his mistake that ultimately saw his team on the wrong end of the seven-goal thriller and even specifically requested to speak in a series of post-match interviews on behalf of the squad.
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"That mistake cost us the victory. It's because of me we didn't win today."
Onana takes the blame for his mistake against Bayern.
Speaking to club legend and a former world-class keeper, Peter Schmeichel reporting for CBS Sports, Onana made the brave choice to come out and publicly take the blame for the Red Devils’ disappointing return to the Champions League, insisting, “It’s because of me we didn’t win today”.
While he began by saying “mistakes are part of life for a goalkeeper” and that he was “happy with the effort of the team” overall, he went on to state, “I have to assume responsibility… the mistake I made for the goal we conceded came in a bad moment and at that time we were in control of the game.
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“After that goal, we fell down… it’s not an easy situation but it’s time to accept and be responsible… work hard and keep believing because we are Manchester United… sh*t happens”. He had similar words for TNT Sports too, summing up his interview in one answer: “I’m the one who let the team down”.
While the defeat will still be a tough one to take, the reaction to Onana’s honesty and willingness to front up in such a way from United fans has been positive, with many commenting “fair play” and calling it the kind of “classy” response they want to see.
He was also praised before the game for speaking on “togetherness”, adding that although they win and lose and draw as a team, he can take people pointing the finger at him.
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Onana on conceding ten goals: “Listen. Listen. We are in this together. We win together, we lose together. Clean sheet is for all of us. So when we concede goals the responsibility is Andre Onana. My teammates are working hard. And if they have to point finger, they have to point… pic.twitter.com/2r7LRp67M5
In fact, the former Ajax shot-stopper has been perfectly candid ever since he became David de Gea‘s successor and went on to admit, “I have a lot to prove because, to be honest, my start in Manchester is not so good”.
Nevertheless, he remained resilient through his various post-match interviews and insisted he simply has to take it on the chin and learn from the experience, with several online also reminding supporters that de Gea didn’t make a perfect start to life at Old Trafford either and made many similar mistakes towards the end.
In contrast, club captain Bruno Fernandes was quick to come out and defend Onana, stating: “Andre’s a great goalkeeper. He will keep giving us a lot of points, a lot of saves… He doesn’t have to take [the] blame for anything; we have to take the blame as a team.
“We’re going to go through this moment together because we’re strong as a team.”
His manager also made a point of making sure their new number one didn’t shoulder all the responsibility for the game either, noting that while “mistakes will always happen in football”, he wasn’t the only reason that goal ended up in the back of the net.
Sadly for the club, his stats thus far don’t make for great reading, having already conceded 16 goals in six games across all competitions — the most of any Premier League keeper this season.
What do you reckon Reds, do you blame Onana for the overall Bayern performance and some of United’s results this campaign, or is it just teething problems?
You can watch the full highlights of Bayern Munich vs Manchester United below:
Featured Image — Manchester United/Discovery+/CBS Sports/TNT Sports (via Twitter)
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Oldham Athletic owner praised for ‘heartwarming’ Christmas gesture
Danny Jones
Amidst all the festive fixture congestion and travel drama, the lovely side of football can often get lost this time of year, but the owner and chairman of Oldham Athletic FC has gone viral for reminding everyone of what’s important this Christmas.
The Latics faced off against Braintree Town in the National League in their last game before Christmas on Saturday, 21 December, walking away with a 2-0 win on the road to send the travelling fans home with an early stocking filler.
However, it wasn’t the result that fans and supporters all over the country have been talking about, it was a small but heartfelt gesture from Oldham boss Frank Rothwell who was in attendance for the pre-Christmas away game that has left people applauding him and the values now instilled around the club.
What a difference a bit of recognition, gratitude and simple kindness can make, eh?
As you can see, the 74-year-old entrepreneur (best known for founding the Manchester Cabins portable buildings company) didn’t just send out a Christmas message via club media or record a quick video as many other teams still struggle to put the effort into, he stayed behind to thank every single supporter.
Shaking hands and offering out hugs, all with a sincere enthusiasm and generally lovely demeanour, the Oldham native – donning his distinctive blue club flat cap – made sure to wish each and every one of them a merry Christmas before the nearly five-hour drive home.
Just downright wholesome stuff this, isn’t it?
Reacting to the video which has been reshared countless times online, one person said: “As a former Oldham resident it’s nice to see someone at the top care about the club, the residents and the town in general. It’s been a long time since that has been the case”; another added, “A nice gesture by the owner… After all, it’s the fans who make the game special.”
A third user wrote, “Oldham is a very lucky club. I had the pleasure of a chat with Frank in the tent at PP. I can honestly say one of the nicest, most genuine people I’ve met.” A subsequent reply underneath the comment read: “Hate these lot but f*** me I’m jealous, what a genuine bloke he seems to be.”
Rothwell completed his takeover of struggling Oldham Athletic back in 2022 after they were relegated from the EFL (English Football League) after 115 years and has been on a mission to get them back on their feet. He’s playing more than his part.
Hope you get back soon, Oldham belong in the Football league.
Spirits were understandably low at Boundary Park back then and things are still far from perfect, but the sentiment around the club now is a much more uplifting one, as Rothwell and his board look to have really ingratiated themselves among the fans and the community.
He’s also a bit of a local legend for other reasons too, having become the oldest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean back in 2021 and raising over £373,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK after beating his record this past February and earning the Prime Minister’s ‘Point of Light’ award. Hero.
Micky Mellon’s side were set to take on York City in their final game of 2024 on Boxing Day but the match was ultimately postponed due to intense foggy conditions which plagued many of Thursday’s games. They will now take on Hartlepool away on New Year’s Day.
You can pretty much guarantee Frank will be along to watch that one too. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the football club owners keeping the heart of the beautiful game alive.
Stockport County fans left ‘absolutely gutted’ after Aston Villa recall star player Louie Barry
Danny Jones
Stockport County fans have been left with an early lump of coal in their Christmas stockings this festive period as loanee and first-team favourite Louie Barry has been recalled by Aston Villa.
After the announcement was delivered this past weekend, Barry is set to return to hisparent club in January, leaving him with just three games left before he has to say goodbye to the Hatters.
Having impressed not only in his debut campaign with Stockport but going on to hit even greater heights to emerge as their star player this season, he’s quite literally been the match-winner more times than supporters will care to count as they prepare to bid him a reluctant goodbye.
Breaking the news to the Edgeley Park faithful on Sunday evening, the update may have been inevitable but it still came as a no less painful one that has frustrated many who believe it’s a “poor from Villa” and “unfair” both on the player and the club who desperately rely on him.
Having taken his goal contribution tally from 13 in 20 games throughout 2023/24 to having notched 15 goals and three assists in 22 appearances this season so far, there can be no question that Barry has found a comfortable second home at the League One club.
It’s come as a hard one to take for the fans who are all too aware of his potential. One person joked, “Thanks villa that’s just ruined my Christmas, All the best Louie”; another simply said, “Are you taking the p***?”, while a third dubbed him a “County legend”.
Many merely mustered the old adage, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. Thank you”, but to sum up the overall feeling, they’re simply “gutted” to be losing the super talented youngster.
One person even went so far as to write: “An absolute box office footballer and a pleasure to watch live Up there with Anthony Pilkington as the most talented footballer I’ve ever seen in a County shirt Thoroughly enjoyed every moment of watching him, will follow his career with great interest.”
Even fans of other teams have been sharing their sympathy, with more than one echoing the sentiment: “An absolute shame. Been brilliant for you but his talents do lie at a higher level. Presume he will be loaned to a Championship team for the second half of the season.”
In fact, there were plenty of Villa fans to be found in the comments too, all debating whether or not this will prove to be a “mistake”, with several asking “Why upset his rhythm?”.
I'm a villa fan and I agree. I think he should have seen the season out with Stockport. Then next season put him in the championship whether with you guys or not. He's only 21 there's plenty of time
With the Birmingham-based side sitting in the European places once again in the top flight this season, the assumption is that Barry will most likely be loaned once again only to a Championship club to see at what level his ability is currently at.
Just as County will now be wishing they had, there’ll be plenty looking to snap the 21-year-old up on a permanent deal should they get the chance, with Leeds, Middlesborough and both Sheffield clubs all said to be interested.
On the other hand, with the Villans still in multiple competitions, they could be looking to bolster their squad with more numbers and given the success of youngsters like high-flying Jhon Durán, Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey, they could be hoping to integrate him into the matchday squad.
However, the worry is that if he does stay at Villa Park and try to fight for first-team minutes, he could end up wasting valuable time sat waiting on the bench rather than continuing to thrive as he was at Stockport County. Regardless, the only saying still rings true: never get attached to a loan player…
Do you think Louie Barry was right to be recalled or is it a misstep from Villa?
Danny Jones -
21st September 2023 
