Sir Alex Ferguson's David de Gea assessment offers Andre Onana a Manchester United blueprint

The role of Manchester United goalkeeper can feel an incredibly lonely job at times.

Gary Neville once claimed it was the most difficult position in football due to the weight of expectation on the shoulders of the man blessed (or burdened) with the responsibility. Currently, Andre Onana probably feels like his duty is an unescapable chore.

His mistake in the defeat to Bayern Munich could have happened to any goalkeeper across the globe. However, the error was magnified due to who Onana plays for and the games which preceded the untimely misfortune.

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Onana showed plenty of mental strength when he chose to front up on national TV after the 4-3 Champions League loss and the moment felt like it could be the turning point in the early stages of his United career. Of course, it is not the first time a 'keeper has struggled in the early stages of their career in Manchester.

While his predecessor's troubles more recently remain fresh in the memory, David de Gea did not just struggle upon the arrival of Erik ten Hag. Indeed, the opening stages of his United career were a difficult time for him to negotiate.

Filling in the considerable gap left behind by Edwin van der Sar, De Gea struggled to find his feet at Old Trafford. Eventually his luck started to change though and in April 2012 Sir Alex Ferguson offered this assessment of his goalkeeper.

"He got a grip of the situation," the legendary Scot explained. "He did not let the mistakes get to him and now he is playing with confidence which is a great factor for any goalkeeper.

"The area where he has been criticised has been in dealing with aerial balls into the box. That last corner