Andre Onana’s long-ball shift under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United | OneFootball

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has notably shifted his approach in recent weeks. Under new head coach Ruben Amorim, he now opts for long passes more frequently.

Onana, who arrived from Inter Milan for €55 million in July 2023, was expected to revolutionise United’s build-up play from the back. His calmness on the ball and willingness to play short passes set him apart from his predecessor, David de Gea.

Yet recently, fans have seen the Cameroon international launching balls upfield more regularly.

While short distribution remains his primary method, Onana has become one of the Premier League’s most frequent users of long passes this season.

The Athletic’s recent article delves into this stylistic change and how it is affecting United’s overall game.

According to Opta, only five Premier League goalkeepers have attempted more long passes — defined as high balls over 40 yards into space — than Onana. However, his accuracy remains low, completing just 25.8% of such passes. Of those five, only Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson has a worse completion rate.

Nevertheless, Onana has embraced this more direct style. Over United’s last five matches in both the Premier League and Europa League, he has averaged 20.4 long passes per game.

Amorim and his coaching staff have encouraged the 28-year-old to go long if playing short presents too much risk. Despite his reputation for a rigid system, the Portuguese coach has shown a willingness to adapt tactically.

“Sometimes we have short goal kicks and then sometimes long balls, because the opponent is pressing a lot,” Amorim said earlier this month. “I try to adapt to the players we have.”

In the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on 9 March, Onana launched 29 long passes — his highest tally since Amorim’s arrival.

In contrast, he attempted just three long balls in the previous match against Everton, when the opposition press dropped off after taking an early lead.

This tactical evolution appears partly driven by squad limitations. The long-term injury to Lisandro Martinez — United’s best progressive passer from the back — has left Amorim without a reliable option to help build play from deeper areas.

Without Martinez, United’s ability to progress the ball smoothly has suffered.

The statistics support this. Since Amorim took charge, United have averaged more passes in their half per 90 minutes than any other side in the league, yet rank 16th for passes into the final third.

Even so, the effectiveness of Onana’s long balls is up for debate. His execution varies, and the players on the receiving end — including Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho — have struggled aerially. None of the trio have won more than 29% of their aerial duels in the Premier League, with Garnacho’s win rate as low as 9%.

Given these figures, United’s increasing reliance on long distribution appears to be more of a damage-limitation strategy than a proactive attacking plan.

With his side struggling to play through opposition pressure and lacking aerial presence up front, Amorim’s directive for Onana to go long reflects a pragmatic shift rather than a permanent solution. Until United regain key personnel and improve their build-up efficiency, route one may remain their best route forward.

Featured image by Carl Recine via Getty Images

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