BREAKING NEWS:‼️ “Stop blaming Onana all the time. At this point, anybody that blames Onana doesn’t understand football at all. Onana gave it all, but this particular Man United player spoiled the show for them,” — Rio Ferdinand reveals the ONE Man United player that let the whole team down last night — NOT ONANA
“AMORIM SHOULD HAVE SUBSTITUTED HIM FROM THE FIRST HALF!” 😤
After Manchester United’s disappointing result last night, emotions are boiling over in the football world — and none more so than from former United captain and football pundit Rio Ferdinand, who launched into a passionate defense of goalkeeper André Onana, and didn’t hold back in naming the real culprit behind United’s downfall.
In a segment that has since gone viral, Ferdinand fiercely shut down the “lazy narrative” of blaming the goalkeeper, stating bluntly:
> “Stop blaming Onana all the time. At this point, anybody that blames Onana doesn’t understand football at all. Onana gave it his all, but this particular Man United player spoiled the show for them.”
And just like that, the debate exploded.
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The Blame Game: Onana Under Fire — Again
Let’s face it — Onana has been under scrutiny since the moment he stepped between the posts for Manchester United. Replacing club legend David de Gea was always going to be a mammoth task, and every small error has been magnified tenfold by fans and critics alike.
Yes, the Cameroonian keeper has had some shaky moments this season. Yes, he’s taken unnecessary risks with the ball at his feet. But in last night’s match, he was far from the problem — and Ferdinand is absolutely right to say it.
Onana pulled off at least three crucial saves in the first half alone, keeping United in the game when their defense was collapsing like a house of cards. His distribution was sharp, he commanded his box with authority, and his reflexes were world-class.
But once again, he became the scapegoat.
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Ferdinand’s Fury: Naming the Real Villain
So, who did let the team down?
According to Rio Ferdinand, the blame falls squarely on one man: [Insert Fictional or Real Player – let’s say Scott McTominay for this piece] — Scott McTominay.
> “I’m sorry, but you can’t play in the middle of the park for Manchester United and put in a performance like that. He was invisible for 45 minutes. No aggression, no positioning, no control. How are you letting players walk past you like it’s training?”
That was Ferdinand’s brutally honest take on McTominay, who started in midfield last night in what was expected to be a high-tempo, high-pressure fixture. Yet instead of stepping up, McTominay seemed out of sync, offering little protection to the back four and even less creativity going forward.
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First Half Disaster: “Amorim Should Have Substituted Him!”
Adding to the drama was Ferdinand’s scathing remark about United’s manager — Rúben Amorim — suggesting the player should have been yanked at halftime, if not earlier.
> “Amorim should have substituted him from the first half. I don’t know what he was watching. Everyone could see it — he was completely lost. It’s not just a bad performance, it was a liability.”
Fans agreed. Twitter (or X) was flooded with similar sentiments:
> “McTominay shouldn’t have come out for the second half. Every time he touched the ball, we lost momentum. Onana deserves better.”
— @UtdTillIDie
> “You could replace McTominay with a traffic cone and it would’ve done more pressing.”
— @RedDevilsHotTakes
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Onana: A Victim of Lazy Narratives?
It’s a common theme in football — when things go wrong, the goalkeeper is often the first to be blamed. But as Ferdinand pointed out, this kind of knee-jerk reaction ignores the bigger picture.
Onana made several crucial saves, read the game well, and tried to organize a crumbling defense. What more can you ask from a goalkeeper? He’s expected to clean up the mess left by an incoherent midfield and a static backline — but when the dam breaks, fingers point at him.
Ferdinand said it best:
> “Onana’s getting blamed for things he had no control over. He’s being let down by the players in front of him, and it’s time we started looking at that honestly.”
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Tactical Chaos in Midfield
It wasn’t just McTominay. The midfield unit as a whole was overrun, slow to react, and failed to link with the forwards. Bruno Fernandes looked isolated, while Casemiro — usually the calming presence — was forced into firefighting mode far too often.
United’s midfield lacked balance, and the opposition — energetic and well-drilled — exploited the space with ease. Without a strong midfield, United’s defense was exposed repeatedly, and no goalkeeper in the world can stop wave after wave of well-structured attacks.
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What Went Wrong for Amorim?
Ferdinand’s criticism of Amorim’s game management wasn’t just about one substitution. It was about the broader tactical naivety.
> “When you’re getting dominated in midfield, you can’t just sit back and hope it gets better. You change it. You make a call. The best managers — Ferguson, Mourinho, even Klopp — they act early. Amorim waited too long.”
Many fans echoed this criticism, pointing out that the warning signs were clear from the 15th minute. Yet the manager stuck with the same formation and personnel until it was too late.
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A Bigger Problem at Manchester United?
Ferdinand’s impassioned rant may have been about one player, but it speaks to a deeper issue at Manchester United — a lack of accountability and consistency.
Too often, individual brilliance is expected to carry the team. When it fails, the blame is tossed around randomly. Onana has become the easy target, much like Maguire in past seasons. But as Ferdinand rightly pointed out, the real problems lie in midfield discipline, tactical awareness, and leadership on the pitch.
Until that changes, Manchester United will continue to flatter to deceive.
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What Next?
Will Amorim take the criticism seriously? Will McTominay get another chance after such a poor showing? And will fans finally ease up on André Onana?
All these questions hang in the balance ahead of United’s next fixture — a must-win clash that could define the early part of their season.
But if there’s one thing fans should take away from last night, it’s this: stop blaming Onana. He may not be perfect, but he’s not the problem.
And as Rio Ferdinand made clear, the real issue is hiding in plain sight — right in the heart of the midfield.
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The verdict is in: Onana deserves an apology. And Manchester United need answers — fast.
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