Manchester [UK], August 18 : Following Manchester United's loss to Arsenal in their Premier League opener, former club skipper Gary Neville said that the team "needs to find a new goalkeeper".
The clash between Gunners and The Red Devils showed the differences in goalkeeping quality of both sides. The side's second-choice goalie Altay Bayindir, stepping in for an absent Onana, failed to stop a cross from Declan Rice, who nodded home by Riccardo Calafiori. While on the other David Raya earned plaudits for his performance, making spectacular saves against attacks from relentless Manchester United's new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. That goal itself proved to be a point of difference despite Man United's impressive attacking game and gave Arsenal three points.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, he said, as quoted by Sky Sports, "There is a glaring issue that Man Utd cannot ignore and it is the fact they need to find a goalkeeper."
"They have to. I am unequivocal on that because I had an experience with Man Utd for 20 years, where there were two significant periods of seven or eight years with Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar."
"In between, we had seven or eight goalkeepers in a six, seven, eight-year period and it is really unsettling when you have not got a dominant No 1, who is dominant in the air, who owns his six-yard box, comes and punches everything and makes a lot of saves to win you points when your defenders make mistakes."
Neville said that within next week or two, Manchester United will have to "magic up a bit more money" or bring someone on loan.
"The two that have been mentioned in the last two weeks have been Emi Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa and Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy and Paris Saint-Germain)," he said.
"The reason I think they would be good goalkeepers for Man Utd is not necessarily because they are the best goalkeepers in Europe, but they are big personalities and characters."
"You have seen Donnarumma in a European final save those penalties for Italy. He looked like a giant. He has played for PSG in huge games under pressure. Martinez has played in the World Cup final and won it for Argentina," he continued.
Neville pointed out that the two aforementioned keepers have played under extreme pressure and walk with arrogance and dominance befitting their position, and the Red Devils need it.
"There are a number of things Man Utd need this season, and Ruben Amorim is getting to that point now where he thinks he has got a team that could do something. However, they need to sort the goalkeeper because they concede goals and lose points, and it continually undermines what you are doing," he said.
"When the goalkeeper is flapping at the ball, those 72,000 home fans are groaning and that sends a shiver through the spines of defenders. It also sends a shiver through the goalkeeper and creates an anxiety around the stadium. You have got to have personality, stability and character in that position, and Man Utd are going to have to deal with it in the next couple of weeks," he concluded.