Manchester United walks into the derby with Manchester City surrounded by more noise off the pitch than on it. The reason is clear enough. Ruben Amorim decided to explain why André Onana was sent out on loan to Trabzonspor, and the way he put it made it obvious how far the goalkeeper had slipped in the pecking order. He didn’t duck the question, but his words spoke volumes.
“I think we understood that a change was necessary and sometimes it’s hard to explain why. Sometimes it’s timing, sometimes it’s bad luck. It’s tough for him, tough for us. Our idea was to make a change in goal, but I wish André Onana the best. He was a hard worker and always tried to help his teammates, but sometimes you can have all the quality in the world and still need a change.”
Onana has turned into the face of Amorim’s crackdown on privileges
The statement matters because this isn’t just any keeper moving on. United spent €55 million in 2023 to bring him in, and a little over a year later the coach showed no hesitation in pushing him aside. That tells you plenty about Amorim’s management style. He’s not attached to names, and he’s not held hostage by transfer fees. If you don’t fit, you’re gone. Rashford was loaned out twice, Antony and Garnacho were moved on too. Since taking over last November, Amorim has flipped the locker room hierarchy on its head.
That said, Onana’s story isn’t just about shaky performances. Sure, he made costly mistakes and never provided the stability people expected. But Amorim’s line hinted at more than that—it pointed to a worn-out relationship behind the scenes. It’s blunt to hear that “sometimes you can have all the quality in the world and still need a change.” What he really seemed to be saying is that no matter how hard Onana worked in training, he no longer made sense in the bigger plan.
Bayindir in the spotlight for the derby
Choosing Altay Bayindir to start against City tells you just as much about Amorim. The Turkish keeper was guilty on a goal in the last match against Burnley, yet it didn’t change the decision. Amorim flat out confirmed Bayindir would start. He won’t bend to outside noise or let one mistake dictate a call. He’d rather stick with continuity than roll the dice on a desperate switch.
The problem is Bayindir still hasn’t won over everyone. At 27, he has to show he can carry the weight of a game this big. Senne Lammens, recently signed and only 23, has been parked as an option for later. Amorim clearly knows it’s too soon to throw him straight into the chaos of a Manchester derby. Doing that would be reckless.
So this game doubles as a test on two fronts. United needs to prove it can hold its own without Onana and with Bayindir under the microscope. And Amorim has the chance to show that his tough calls, however unpopular they seem now, actually stand up once the ball is rolling.