Players told to shoot early at Onana as he is so far back in his penalty area

Not only has goalkeeper been plagued by gaffes and poor kicking, rival analysts have identified a way to exploit his positioning

André Onana has been targeted by Manchester United’s opposition for staying on his line and inviting shots on goal, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

United’s £47.2 million summer signing has conceded almost two goals per game on average, but Erik ten Hag has backed the Cameroon international despite a succession of high-profile errors and poor kicking.

But it is understood that Onana’s positioning in particular has been the focus of opposition analysts preparing to face United this season. The 27-year-old has been deep in his own area when United are out of possession.

According to a club source, players were told to shoot early at Onana as he is so far back in his penalty area that he effectively makes the goal bigger for them. He often comes forward to receive the ball with his feet but retreating towards his own goal-line has been seen as a weakness for opposition to exploit.

Galatasaray’s goals in their 3-2 win in the Champions League this week were examples of the flaw in Onana’s technique. Wilfried Zaha scored from a long ball down the middle with Onana deep in his own six-yard box.

The winning goal at Old Trafford, the Turkish club’s first away victory in the Champions League group stage for more than a decade, came when Mauro Icardi ran through and chipped Onana when the United goalkeeper was around seven yards out from goal.

Bayern Munich also scored from close range in the Group A opening defeat for United, and Onana was guilty of an error when he let Leroy Sane’s shot slip through his hands while on his goal-line. Goalkeepers are trained to be off their line so the angles make the goal smaller