Andre Onana believes senior players should take the blame following a ‘bad season’ which has seen Manchester United finish eighth.
The Red Devils have endured a pretty torrid campaign having secured their worst ever Premier League finish.
Despite beating Brighton 2-0 on the final day of the season, United ended in eighth place, meaning that as it stands, they won’t be playing European football next term.
However, that could change if they come out victorious in the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City on Saturday – live on talkSPORT.
Criticism has been plentiful at times this season, but while it doesn’t affect goalkeeper Onana, he says he worries about the impact it takes on the club’s young stars.
Speaking on The Overlap to United legend Gary Neville, Onana said: “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 recognise that.
“When things are going wrong, don’t go for the youngest player – I’m here to take it, Bruno [Fernandes], Casemiro and Harry [Maguire] are there and we are used to it.”
Speaking about the criticism coming from ex-United stars, he remarked: “When it’s people who were sitting where I’m sitting, who won everything, sometimes it’s bizarre – we are in the same boat.
2
“We try to follow your thing and what you did,” he explained to Neville, who is widely regarded as the Premier League’s best-ever right-back.
“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.”
Commenting on the alarming amount of shots United have faced, which has seen Onana concede 82 goals from his 50 appearances, he stated: “It’s a price to pay.
“Everything is temporary – last season they didn’t face that, and I’m 100 per cent sure that next season we will not face that.
“It’s football – I think it’s about moments, and we faced a lot of injury crises, lost a lot of important players – but, of course, it’s not an excuse.
“It’s just a bad season for all of is, and we have to stay positive as we are doing at the moment.
“I know everything will be alright – if not this season, it will be next year.”
Since joining from Inter Milan for £47.2million last summer, the Cameroon international has kept just 13 clean sheets.
And he knows he will be a busy man at Wembley this weekend against a City side that has scooped a historic fourth league championship.