Information about Emiliano Martinez comes as the official position in the Man United goal is a big question mark, after 2 unstable seasons of play by Andre Onana.
In 2023, the number 1 "goalkeeper" at M.U at that time - David de Gea was forced to leave to make way for Andre Onana - the goalkeeper considered to have a modern playing style, handling the ball well with his feet and could participate in the overall play of the whole team.
The Cameroonian arrived at Old Trafford in the hope of being the starting point for the ball deployment from the back. This is considered a turning point in Man United's playing philosophy.
However, after 2 seasons, things have gotten even worse than before. Onana had some great moments but also many risky handling situations, causing Man United to concede a goal.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper often exposed weaknesses in the "Red Devils" unstructured defensive system, causing him to receive a lot of criticism at that time.
Man United was even mocked when they said they had recruited a goalkeeper who knew how to play with his feet but didn't know how to use his hands to block like his other colleagues.
Meanwhile, if compared with Emiliano Martinez, it will be clear to see a completely opposite image to Andre Onana.If Onana chose a somewhat adventurous playing style, Martinez prioritized solidity, practicality and control.
Dibu is not the type of goalkeeper who will do spins to handle the ball at the edge of the penalty area, nor does he try to break the lines with long passes. Instead, the 32-year-old goalkeeper is the traditional goalkeeper, with his strength being his ability to enter and exit reasonably, consistently in making decisions and practicing in keeping the ball.
According to statistics, from the 2020-2021 season, the Argentine national team is the one that handles the most bullets in the Premier League (237 times). In a team with many strategic loopholes like Man United, this difference will certainly bring better defensive efficiency than Onana.
In particular, Emiliano Martinez is known for his coolness and courage in key moments. He was Argentina's hero at the 2022 World Cup and in the last 2 Copa American tournaments.
Dibu not only has a series of saves, he also possesses the ability to play with a mentality in penalty shootouts and decisive moments. For any player when facing Martinez in the 16m50 round, or more specifically the 11m mark, they will definitely have to face a huge psychological challenge.
If comparing the ability to reflect and block shots, there is not a big difference between Martinez and Onana. Onana has kept more clean sheets than Martinez in the Premier League in 2024-25 (9 compared to 8).
However, the difference lies in the approach, Martinez will be a reliable blocker, often choosing to catch the ball and minimizing the risk of teammates having to compete for the second ball right in front of the penalty area.Meanwhile, Onana will often push the ball out with shots from the opponent, which will make it difficult for Man United defenders to break.
In terms of general contribution to the playing style, Onana is better suited to playing with good feet, handling and passing the ball diversely to defenders.However, because the defense and midfield of Man United are not really solid and connective, the errors from Onana and his teammates are huge.
In other words, the playing style of both Ruben Amorim and previously Erik ten Hag has prevented Onana's strengths from being promoted. Martinez, meanwhile, handled the ball more simply, passing it straight up midfield for Aston Villa to compete with the second ball and launch an attack.
Therefore, the choice of goalkeeper to start in goal will have to rely on Ruben Amorim's playing style and approach to the match in the coming season. Man United is currently not a team that controls the ball effectively or has a methodical pressing style of play.
Therefore, Martinez will be more suitable for the "Red Devils" system at the present time, when bringing solidity, having a practical playing style and being very brave in the penalty area. For Onana, this goalkeeper is still highly appreciated for his skill set but is not suitable for Man United at the moment.
