Amadou Onana

[The Doc]

That was a truly awful pen. Even for a relaxed nonchalant penalty style, the approach was absolutely terrible. So feeble, and the pace on the shot wasn't there and it was really central.

Yeah. A really really really bad decision from Onana there. It wasn't the time for that at all. He wanted to be seen as the cool man.

[Stumpy]

I don’t think it’s as black and white …

He wanted to be the cool guy, calm and collected penalty, taking us into a semi final

I’m 99% sure that in his mind, being the taker of the winning pen was more important than going through

Maybe I’m pissed off and gutted but I don’t care tbh.

It was awful and disappointing.

Not a single one of us would care one iota how he stuck the penalty away, just get it in and get us through.
When you do what he did he set himself up for a hiding to nothing.
It was fucking woeful, and he deserves every bit of dogs abuse coming his way.

[Bluedylan1]

Yeah I absolutely get people's anger, and I'm not even saying people are wrong or whatever. Just that I personally don't feel that way.

He took a really bad penalty. He took the style of penalty for the kind of player that he is. I expect Tark to run up and blammo it in, as he did, and I expect Onana to look to pass it in or stroke it in. I just think he executed it terribly, unfortunately for him and us.

I just don't buy all the additional stuff about ego. All footballers have ego. He wanted to take a pen, which is to his credit unlike a couple of others who might've volunteered. The manager clearly wanted him in the list, and put him 5th presumably because he's a calm head, as he often shows on the pitch unlike most of our other players. He just missed the pen.

But obviously people can feel how they want, and it's not for me to say they are wrong. I just don't agree.

[AjaxAndy]

Yeah I absolutely get people's anger, and I'm not even saying people are wrong or whatever. Just that I personally don't feel that way.

He took a really bad penalty. He took the style of penalty for the kind of player that he is. I expect Tark to run up and blammo it in, as he did, and I expect Onana to look to pass it in or stroke it in. I just think he executed it terribly, unfortunately for him and us.

I just don't buy all the additional stuff about ego. All footballers have ego. He wanted to take a pen, which is to his credit unlike a couple of others who might've volunteered. The manager clearly wanted him in the list, and put him 5th presumably because he's a calm head, as he often shows on the pitch unlike most of our other players. He just missed the pen.

But obviously people can feel how they want, and it's not for me to say they are wrong. I just don't agree.

Yeah he was never going to put his foot through it, he's not that type of player... I said that Tarkowski would leather it to my kid as he walked up to take it, and he nearly put a hole in the net.

The key is to take the penalty in your natural style, but also then to execute it well... He didn't, at all.

I'm sure if Tarks had put it in row Z people would have been bemoaning him being too agricultural and that he shouldn't have been taking one of he's not got anything that hammering it as hard as he can and hoping for the best.

I would argue the issue is more that if Onana doesn't have the ability to execute his natural kind of penalty then he shouldn't have been standing there taking it.

[Bluedylan1]

Yeah he was never going to put his foot through it, he's not that type of player... I said that Tarkowski would leather it to my kid as he walked up to take it, and he nearly put a hole in the net.

The key is to take the penalty in your natural style, but also then to execute it well... He didn't, at all.

I'm sure if Tarks had put it in row Z people would have been bemoaning him being too agricultural and that he shouldn't have been taking one of he's not got anything that hammering it as hard as he can and hoping for the best.

I would argue the issue is more that if Onana doesn't have the ability to execute his natural kind of penalty then he shouldn't have been standing there taking it.

Another issue is that there was no fake element to it. Often when people stroke it in, they go with a powerful run up and they dummy to smash it, so the keeper really doesn't know what pace it's coming at, they wait for the keeper to slightly favour one side or one foot and then roll it the other side.

Onana's entire body language, demeanour and run up told the keeper he was not hitting it hard, and then at that point you only have to guess the side. It was a really poor execution of that style of pen, for sure.

[AjaxAndy]

I obviously don't think he did it for a cool instagram pic, it's the wider point. It's all about him and that has been abundantly clear since he arrived at the club. He's a talented player who has done very little to back up his attitude and tonight we've paid the price for that attitude. Hopefully it'll serve as a lesson in humility for him but I don't know how anyone can watch that penalty and have any sympathy for him tbh.

The fact it was him of all people taking the 5th an deciding pen kind of says it all as well, I'd love to know how that was decided because he shouldn't have even been in the first 5.

A legend in his own head and personally I'll be happier when he's doing it for Man United or PSG and has made us a decent profit in the process. I know these type of players exist and some people love them but they're not for me.

Yeah I get you here tbh, and he's really opened himself up to the criticism for how he took that penalty.

I can't really imagine him taking it any other way and so for me he shouldn't have been standing there taking it... I'm sure in his head he knew what he was doing but for whatever reason the execution was horrific.

It's fine for me taking that kind of penalty, but you have to actually be competent doing it, and I'm not sure there's any evidence to suggest he is, and being that 5th taker is pretty baffling.

He's a talented player but inexperienced and I hope this kind of thing will either help him grow, or otherwise he'll not reach the levels he clearly desires.

[AjaxAndy]

Another issue is that there was no fake element to it. Often when people stroke it in, they go with a powerful run up and they dummy to smash it, so the keeper really doesn't know what pace it's coming at, they wait for the keeper to slightly favour one side or one foot and then roll it the other side.

Onana's entire body language, demeanour and run up told the keeper he was not hitting it hard, and then at that point you only have to guess the side. It was a really poor execution of that style of pen, for sure.

Yeah there was nothing to confuse the keeper and he essentially just passed it to him... Makes me think he's not really practiced these and just backed himself to connect better and place it in the corner in a way the keeper wouldn't save it. Execution was appalling, and it's one of the easiest saves a keeper will ever make in a penalty shootout.

[MayorFarnham]

You'd hope a professional footballer would be adept at more than one style of penalty and take the one most appropriate to the situation.

[Bluedylan1]

You'd hope a professional footballer would be adept at more than one style of penalty and take the one most appropriate to the situation.

I think that's a bit optimistic. I'd say pens are as much about psychology as they are technique and some amazing players have been relatively poor at pens. Messi missed 24 in his career for example. James Milner's only ever missed 2. Obviously Messi took a lot more, but it's about more than the quality of player.

[AjaxAndy]

You'd hope a professional footballer would be adept at more than one style of penalty and take the one most appropriate to the situation.

I can't imagine Tarks doing a stuttered run up whilst watching the keeper and slotting the opposite side to the keeper's dive whilst never looking at the ball.

I can't imagine Onana leathering it.

One style of penalty is probably all you're going to get outside your main penalty takers, the issue is someone whose going to do 'that' shouldn't be in the first 5.

[NomadskiEFC]

Bet Jags facepalmed hard watching that penalty.

He owes everyone a big performance next game for that.

[brap2]

Just take the net off for me, but that personality is what will make him the player he will be.

[MayorFarnham]

I can't imagine Tarks doing a stuttered run up whilst watching the keeper and slotting the opposite side to the keeper's dive whilst never looking at the ball.

I can't imagine Onana leathering it.

One style of penalty is probably all you're going to get outside your main penalty takers, the issue is someone whose going to do 'that' shouldn't be in the first 5.

I can imagine Tarks side footing one firmly into the corner, something that shouldn't be beyond Onana. Why invite risk, it's just stupid.

[Shogun]

Still begs the question why a 22 year-old non-goalscorer who has only taken one penalty previously in his career (A missed one for Hoffenheim U19s) is taking the most important penalty of the lot.

In an age where everything is about data and statistics in football, it's baffling that something like that can be left to feeling. I know you can talk about training penalties but every manager and player in the world says that the situation in real play is completely different.

Garner, Tarkowski and Pickford should all be on penalties before him in that situation.

[TheRam]

Just take the net off for me, but that personality is what will make him the player he will be.

That personality will mean he’ll never be the great player he could become imo.

See Lukaku and Pogba for perfect examples. He’s all in his head.