Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim says he will delay a final decision on his starting goalkeeper for the club’s crucial Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon, following mounting scrutiny of André Onana and Altay Bayındır.
Onana was dropped for United’s 4–1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday after his high-profile errors in last week’s 2–2 draw with Lyon.
Bayındır, making his Premier League debut, endured a torrid afternoon and was culpable for Newcastle’s fourth goal after a misplaced pass gifted possession to Joelinton, leading to a Bruno Guimarães tap-in.
Amorim remained non-committal on who would start between the sticks on Thursday:
“You guys have to wait. We are going to start the next week tomorrow and I’m going to choose the best starting XI for the next one,” he told reporters.
“A Reflection of Our Season”
Amorim didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment of the team’s latest collapse, admitting that United’s second-half implosion at St. James’ Park — where they conceded three times after the break — epitomized the struggles of a historically poor campaign.
“When we suffered the second goal early in the second half, we went down — and we need to be better in these moments. The mistakes we made gave them confidence and helped them win the game.”
United’s 14th loss of the season has now guaranteed their lowest-ever points tally in the Premier League era, regardless of how the final matches play out.
“It’s the reflection of our season. We need to accept that, move forward and try to do things much better in the future so we don’t have this kind of season again,” Amorim conceded.
Revolution in the Data Room?
Meanwhile, changes could be brewing off the pitch. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who now oversees football operations at Manchester United, is reportedly exploring a bold overhaul of the club’s data analytics system.
In a candid interview with the United We Stand fanzine, Ratcliffe criticised the club’s outdated approach to analytics:
“We’re still in the last century of data analysis. It doesn’t really exist here.”
To address the gap, Ratcliffe is considering recruiting Michael Sansoni, a respected Mercedes Formula 1 engineer, to lead the club’s data revolution. Sansoni is expected to leave Mercedes at year’s end, and with INEOS part-owning the F1 team, the move is seen as an internal transition rather than a major leap.
United’s poor return on a staggering £900 million transfer spend since 2019 has further highlighted the urgency for change. High-cost signings such as Antony, Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek, and Rasmus Højlund have yet to meet expectations, and recruitment inefficiencies have stifled progress.
A New Era of Smarter Spending?
Ratcliffe has made clear his admiration for Brighton and Brentford, two clubs that have consistently overachieved by harnessing data-led decision-making — in stark contrast to United’s trial-and-error approach in recent years.
By blending financial muscle with sophisticated analytics, Ratcliffe believes United can reverse their slide and lay a foundation for long-term success.
With Manchester United Champions League hopes now resting squarely on the Europa League, all eyes turn to Thursday’s second leg clash in Lyon — and the man chosen to guard United’s goal in what is quickly becoming the club’s most pivotal week of the season.
