Pep Guardiola has sent shockwaves through the football world after revealing that André Onana, Manchester United’s much-criticized goalkeeper, isn’t actually to blame for the team’s shaky defense. Following United’s recent collapse against Brighton, the Manchester City boss reportedly told close sources that fans and pundits have been looking in the wrong direction all along. According to him, there’s an outfield player quietly sabotaging United’s defensive structure week after week — and it’s not Harry Maguire.
Guardiola, known for his sharp tactical eye, explained that the issue goes far beyond the goalkeeper. “After watching that game, I realized Onana isn’t the problem,” he said. “The real problem is one player who constantly leaves his defense exposed, creating gaps that no keeper could possibly cover.” His comments painted a picture of a player whose lapses in positioning are wreaking havoc behind the scenes.
Though Guardiola didn’t mention any names directly, football analysts and insiders quickly began connecting the dots. To the surprise of many, the finger isn’t being pointed at Maguire but rather at one of United’s so-called “undroppable” starters — someone integral to the team on paper, but perhaps disastrous in practice.
Many fans suspect the target of Guardiola’s subtle criticism is Casemiro. Once the iron wall of Real Madrid’s midfield, the Brazilian has shown signs of fatigue and fading speed this season, leaving dangerous spaces for opponents to exploit. Others argue Guardiola was hinting at Diogo Dalot, whose tendency to push too far forward has repeatedly left the backline exposed — something Brighton ruthlessly punished in their latest encounter.
In that game, United once again fell apart defensively, with Onana left helpless in one-on-one situations as his teammates failed to track back. Guardiola’s assessment echoes the frustrations of many pundits, who have long argued that United’s problems begin not in goal, but in the midfield and defensive organization itself.
“Even the best goalkeepers can’t survive without protection,” Pep reportedly added. “If the midfield and full-backs are always out of position, no keeper in the world can keep clean sheets.” His remarks were both a defense of Onana and a thinly veiled indictment of United’s tactical disarray.
Rúben Amorim has been experimenting with formations to fix the issue, but the same pattern keeps repeating — open spaces, poor communication, and a lack of coordination between defense and midfield. Every mistake seems to leave Onana stranded, forced to face the storm alone.
Fans have erupted online, split between those demanding that the mystery player be benched and others arguing that the team’s entire defensive system needs an overhaul. Whether Guardiola’s words were genuine insight or a bit of mind-game mischief ahead of the Manchester derby, one thing is clear: Manchester United’s defensive rot runs deep — and if Pep is right, someone in that squad might need to face some hard truths before the cracks turn into craters.
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