Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee has vehemently dismissed criticism of under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana as “ridiculous” following the Cameroonian’s error-strewn performance in Thursday’s 2-2 Europa League quarter-final first leg draw at Lyon.
Onana endured a nightmare evening at Groupama Stadium, culpable for both Lyon goals – first misjudging Thiago Almada’s 34th-minute free-kick before parrying Georges Mikautadze’s 93rd-minute shot directly to Rayan Cherki for the dramatic equalizer. The mistakes came after a heated pre-match exchange with former United midfielder Nemanja Matic, who labeled Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history.”
Zirkzee, who came off the bench to score United’s 88th-minute go-ahead goal, rallied behind his teammate during post-match interviews. “We’re one team, so we’re not going to take someone out for making mistakes. That’s ridiculous,” the Dutch forward stated, echoing manager Ruben Amorim’s stance that errors are collective responsibilities.
The 22-year-old acknowledged the frustration of conceding late but shifted focus to Sunday’s crucial Premier League trip to Newcastle. “It hurts for it to go this way, but we must focus on Newcastle away,” Zirkzee said, emphasizing the squad’s unity ahead of next week’s decisive second leg at Old Trafford.
With United’s domestic campaign floundering in 13th place, Zirkzee admitted the Europa League represents their last shot at redemption. “We have to win it… It’s the only thing we have to do,” he stressed, underlining the competition’s importance for salvaging their season.
