Man United star slammed for making 'UNDER-12' mistakes by Chris Sutton as pundit makes gloomy prediction for Ruben Amorim before Newcastle clash

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been criticised for making ‘Under-12’ mistakes during Ruben Amorim’s brutal start to life at the club.

United have lost five of Amorim’s first 10 games in charge and are languishing in 14th in the Premier League, just eight points above the relegation zone. Damningly, they also find themselves 12 points adrift of the Champions League spots.

The 2-0 Boxing Day defeat at Wolves piled on the misery and Matheus Cunha became the second player in a week to score directly from a corner against United.

The forward’s devilish delivery at Molineux dropped over the head of Andre Onana exactly seven days on from Altay Bayindir shipping the same goal, on that occasion from Son Heung-min, during the Carabao Cup defeat at Tottenham. 

Mail Sport columnist Chris Sutton has savaged the schoolboy errors and believes they will do nothing to help Amorim reverse his side’s nightmare form. 

Previewing Newcastle’s trip to Old Trafford, Sutton told BBC Sport: ‘I said before Christmas that I thought Newcastle would hit their stride and they have done that.

Onana has come under fire throughout a nightmare season for Manchester United

‘The way they are playing, they should win at Old Trafford and make it four league wins in a row. Manchester United’s form is the exact opposite. 

‘I am not concerned about Amorim getting the sack but it does not help when your goalkeeper keeps on conceding goals direct from a corner – that is under-12s stuff.

‘I remember it happening when I was watching my son play when he was about 15 and he got done off a corner.

‘I told him you would never see it happen to a professional goalkeeper, but it has happened twice in two weeks to Manchester United – first to Altay Bayindir and then Andre Onana. You could not make it up.

‘I need to apologise here though, because I was far too kind to Manchester United last week when I said they would get a draw at Wolves.

‘Their fans give me so much stick on social media whenever I say they will lose that it must have got to me a bit – I have become a bit of a chicken and have put them down to get a draw when my gut feeling has been for them to lose. 

‘That has got to stop, because they are rubbish. That is not on Amorim because we will judge him when he has a chance to bring in his own players but, for now, we have to see them for what they are, which is a really poor side.’

Onana joined United in the summer of 2023 from Inter Milan in a deal worth £47million, but he has struggled to perform consistently under Erik ten Hag and Amorim. Indeed, a recent report has suggested he is unsettled in Manchester.

Sutton says the lapses have cost United valuable points and believes they should not happen

That could see United move for a replacement over the coming months with Brighton stopper Bart Verbruggen reportedly on their shortlist for the summer.

Amorim has rued his team’s inability to defend set pieces but insisted they must lick their wounds and adopt the same methods as several of their rivals.

‘After a defeat, I don’t want to talk about that, but you can see that every corner nowadays is an opportunity,’ said Amorim.

‘Sometimes you forget the small guys and the talented guys. You put 11 guys to corners or free-kicks if you can do everything inside the box. 

‘But those are the rules and we must not cry about it but do the same thing. So we have to focus on doing the same thing to the opponent.’