Manchester United star Andre Onana has revealed the reason why he will not publicly back manager Erik ten Hag - despite praising him.
The Dutchman brought Onana to the club last summer from Inter Milan, with the Cameroon international replacing David de Gea as the number one goalkeeper.
It took him a few months to fully establish himself at Old Trafford, as he committed several high-profile errors in the Champions League group stage.
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But he has been one of United's most consistent performers in 2024, with his distribution and shot-stopping receiving acclaim.
And Onana has had to be on form recently, with Ten Hag's side conceding 87 shots in their most recent three games after the international break.
They conceded another 12 shots in the opening 45 minutes against Bournemouth on Saturday, with the Cherries going 2-1 up through goals from Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert before Bruno Fernandes made it 2-2 from the penalty spot.
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And while Onana described Ten Hag as a 'very good manager' in a pre-match interview with Sky Sports, he explained why he will not publicly back the former Ajax boss.
"Football doesn't have a memory," he began.
"You deliver good today and yesterday, tomorrow you don't deliver good and they are always going to remember what you did last. Unfortunately, you can't change that.
"Erik is a very good manager. I'm not here to back him, because he's already big enough to back himself."
Ten Hag's side have been plagued by inconsistency this season, with promising results on the pitch often followed up by losses or draws.
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Their opponents on Saturday know all about that, with United beating Chelsea in December before suffering a devastating 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth days later.
And while the 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool could be deemed a positive of sorts - they led the game until Mohamed Salah's late penalty - Ten Hag's side will see the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth as two points dropped as their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League continue to reduce.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Andre Onana, Premier League, Football