It would be hard to describe Manchester United's season as anything other than disappointing so far.
They have gone from a solid top-four side that won silverware to one that is nowhere near the Champions League places and looks almost guaranteed to crash out at the group stage, save a miracle on matchday six.
While it is hard to pick out a single reason why they have struggled so much in the Premier League this year, it is remarkably easy to pinpoint one of the main culprits for their horrendous European form: Andre Onana.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper joined the club in the summer off of a remarkable campaign with Serie A giants Inter Milan that saw them reach the Champions League final – a game for which Onana received plenty of plaudits.
When it was announced that the Red Devils had secured the former Ajax man's signature for £47m, there was a lot of excitement among pundits and the United fanbase; after all, he was unreal against City, so why wouldn't he be great for United?
Unfortunately, things haven't worked out that way, and after a series of calamitous performances in Europe's top competition and some questionable displays in the top flight, fans have started to wonder whether letting David De Gea leave was such a good idea after all.
However, there is another former United goalkeeper who could've been the answer fans are looking for, and he is still putting in great performances week in and week out in the Premier League: Sam Johnstone.
Sam Johnstone at Manchester United
Johnstone spent seven years as a Manchester United player, signing for the youth side in 2011 and then leaving on a permanent deal in 2018 to join Midlands outfit West Bromwich Albion.
In the seven seasons he spent under contract with the Red Devils, he didn't make a single competitive appearance; instead, he was sent out on loan ten times to seven different clubs.
Johnstone's first few spells away from Old Trafford were underwhelming at best, as he wouldn't make over 15 appearances in a season until his fifth loan when he joined Doncaster Rovers for the second half of the 2013/14 season and the first half of the 2014/15 season.
In all, he would play for Rovers 32 times across those two seasons, in which he conceded 38 goals but managed to keep nine clean sheets in the process, which was quite impressive for a relatively young goalkeeper.
Following the expiration of his loan agreement in January 2015, Johnstone joined League One side Preston North End and would make 29 appearances across the second half of the season and a short 28-day spell in January 2016.
Andre Onana drew attention away from how poor 6/10 Man Utd man was v Gala
This 6/10 man let Manchester United down alongside Andre Onana in the side’s 3-3 draw with Galatasaray.
ByAdam ScullyNov 30, 2023
His most impressive performance to date came for Preston, when he started in the club's play-off final, keeping a clean sheet in their 4-0 win over Swindon Town and helping them reach England's second tier.
Another impressive loan spell followed this time with Aston Villa, where he held down the number one spot for the second half of the 2016/17 season and the entirety of the 2017/18 season, making 70 appearances for the Claret and Blue in all competitions.
Finally, after spending seven years out on loan, Johnstone left United on a permanent deal when West Brom paid £5m for his services in July 2018. Over the next four years, the Preston-born shot-stopper would make 167 appearances for the Baggies in all competitions, earn promotion to the Premier League, and even make his England debut against Romania – he kept a clean sheet, too.
It was during his time at The Hawthorns that former manager Sam Allardyce described the keeper as "one of the best" and as "right up there, at the right level", which is high praise indeed from someone as experienced and shall we say, grumpy, as Allardyce.
However, West Brom would ultimately go back down to the Championship, and when his contract ran out, the former United man opted to join Crystal Palace to act as back-up for Vincente Guaita.
The Spanish keeper eventually lost his place to the new signing, and by the start of this season, Johnstone was firmly established as Palace's number one.
Sam Johnstone this season
The "unbeatable" Eagles number one, as described by BBC pundit Garth Crooks, has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season this year. He has started all 14 of Palace's Premier League games so far and has made two appearances in the EFL Cup to boot.
So impressed have the South London club been with his exploits between the sticks that they offered him a new deal that will see him remain at Selhurst Park until 2027, something he is clearly grateful for, telling supporters: "I feel at home here, and I love playing for this club and in front of our fans."
It is easy to see why they offered him the deal, as not only was he the first keeper to reach five clean sheets in the league, but he was also the second-best number one by save percentage mid-way through October.
His numbers have dipped somewhat in recent weeks, but that is also down to the team's overall performances starting to slip, as there is only so much he can do if the players in front of him cannot maintain their defensive solidity.
How Sam Johnstone compares to Andre Onana
Now, while the Palace number one has certainly proved his worth in the Premier League, he still probably wouldn't start week in and week out ahead of Onana, as the Cameroon international is, overall, the better keeper.
However, were United to have kept the 30-year-old on their books, they would have the option of starting him ahead of the former Ajax man in light of his recent high profile – and very costly blunders – without losing an awful lot when it came to the basics of good goalkeeping.
Clean Sheets
5
5
Clean Sheet Percentage
35.7%
35.7%
Save Percentage
78.6%
66.0%
Pass completion
74.8%
63.6%
Crosses Stopped
4.7%
8.2%
There is a drop-off in certain areas between the two, such as in save percentage and pass completion, but they both have five clean sheets, and Johnstone actually stops almost twice as many crosses as the United man, which could signal a level of surety and confidence that Onana certainly seems to be missing – regardless of how many post-match interviews he takes.
Were Ten Hag able to call upon a reliable keeper such as Johnstone, it would likely do the entire team a bit of good, as following the disaster class against Galatasaray, former United legend Paul Scholes revealed how the team will be feeling about their number one: "He makes people nervous, he makes the defence nervous, he makes the whole team nervous. He makes simple saves look really, really difficult."
Ultimately, we will never really know, but had the Red Devils kept hold of their former youngster, Onana might just be having an easier first season at Old Trafford.