Manchester United could break with nearly 80 years of tradition if they jettison Andre Onana in the summer. They have not outright sold a number one goalkeeper in the post-war era.
Alex Stepney ended the 1977-78 season as first choice. He posed for the squad photo at Old Trafford in August but had the ignominy of playing second fiddle to Paddy Roche and never played for the club again. Stepney crossed the pond to join Dallas Tornado months later.
That is the closest United have come to offloading a No.1. The most drastic measure was to release David de Gea after 12 years in 2023.
Over a 32-year period, United had an extraordinary run between the posts. Peter Schmeichel for eight years, Edwin van der Sar for six and then De Gea's dozen. The only unstable period were the six years between Schmeichel and Van der Sar and United still won three Premier League titles and the FA Cup. Stepney also spent 12 years at the club. Gary Bailey was there for nine.
Any high-profile goalkeeping sale - Jim Leighton, Mark Bosnich, Fabien Barthez - had long since had their first-team status revoked. Altay Bayindir's sloppy start at Newcastle would indicate Onana is primed to see out the season as No.1.
It makes the Onana quandary so unique. Recruiting a goalkeeper for £47.2million when he was a free agent 12 months earlier set United up for a fall and Onana is in freefall, reeling from just about the worst week of his professional career.
There is a human side to consider. Onana told me last February that "it took me six months or seven months not to play good, just to feel good". Onana's wife, Melanie Kamayou, was the victim of a street robbery last month. Any spouse would be affected by that. Onana often dines at the San Carlo Italian restaurant in Hale, a reminder of his year in Milan.
Figures at United say Onana stakes much on his mental belief but it noticeably wavers if he errs. Before his recent personal difficulties, he had conceded innumerable saveable goals this season and last.
Eighth and bottom-half places (the latter is as certain as a knighthood for Rory McIlroy) demand a new goalkeeper. Surreally, only three 'keepers have kept more clean sheets than Onana in the Premier League. But the Golden Glove is an individual award that belongs to the collective, an accolade so misleading that De Gea received it after his last appearance at Old Trafford.
The majority of stats are worthless but Onana is 13th in the Premier League for shot-saving percentage with 69.8%. The errors-leading-to-goal measurement go easy on goalies. Onana is on three for this season in the league.
That excludes Jaden Philogene's cross drifting all the way in, parrying the ball out for James Maddison and the questionable positioning for Maxence Lacroix's header. Those are a few examples since the turn of the year.
Onana's shot-stopping gives teams second chances. His contact with shots is often too flush that the ball is certain to be loose on the rebound. United have got away with it at times.
Then there is Onana's distribution. He was famed for it when he arrived and a 37-year-old Tom Heaton even mimicked him during pre-season matches. On Onana's second appearance at Tottenham, he pinged a pass with the precision of McIlroy dropping the ball onto one of Augusta's manicured greens.
That strength is now a weakness. The Old Trafford denizens have not been shy in expressing their exasperation with Onana delaying restarts with the ball dead or alive. "To be honest, it doesn’t affect me because the decision I make is to help the team," an unfussed Onana said eight days ago.
"Sometimes I will make the right decision, sometimes I will make the wrong decision. When I feel my players need to rest I have to take my time, when I feel we need to speed up the game I will do it."
Onana also spoke of the "pressure when you wear this jersey, the club is so big". United are the most scrutinised sporting institution on the planet and the two most unforgiving positions are in goal and up front. Onana and Rasmus Hojlund are not so much underperforming as being bracketed with the "worst ever" to have played in their positions for United.
The 2023 summer is destined to be considered as infamous as any in United history. The autonomy Erik ten Hag was afforded by Richard Arnold and John Murtough was staggering enough and some foresaw a startling scenario developing with Onana.
Upon Ten Hag's appointment in 2022, United had De Gea and Dean Henderson. Henderson was actually considered by Ajax as a potential loanee to replace the suspended Onana in January 2022 while Ten Hag was in charge.
De Gea was the United players' player of the year yet they had just endured their poorest season in decades, conceding at least four goals in defeats to Leicester City, Liverpool (twice), Watford, Manchester City and Brighton. It was United's worst defensive campaign since 1978-79.
It was logical then for Ten Hag to usher in a changing of the guard: phase out De Gea over his last year, give him a send-off, and trial Henderson after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer intended to install him as first choice. If Henderson wasn't up to it, then cash in and reinvest in a new No.1.
United once received a £40million offer from Chelsea for Henderson. Newcastle were poised to sign him until Burnley's relegation made Nick Pope available at a cut price. United eventually received a meagre £15m rising to £20m for Henderson from Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day in 2023.
Solskjaer has a lot to answer for amid United's goalkeeping conundrum. He was so sensitive about the De Gea-Henderson competition he altered the pattern of rotation in the run-in for the 2020-21 season to soften his decision to start De Gea in the Europa League final. United lost to Villarreal after De Gea was beaten by 11 penalties in the shootout and had his kick saved. The team ended the season without a clear No.1.
Henderson was imperfect and might have wilted. As recently as Saturday, he carelessly conceded a tame free kick from Kevin De Bruyne that initiated City's comeback. Henderson, so determined that he beat Sheffield United's outfield players in pre-season sprints, will point out he has as many clean sheets as Onana and Palace are five points and two places better off than United.
That is cause to break with tradition.
