Shadowing Practice: How BAD is Onana, Actually? - Learn English Speaking with Video

Andre Onana is the worst goalie Manchester United have ever seen.

If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history, you need to take care of what you are talking about.

That's not hyperbole either.

He has conceded more goals than any other United goalie before him.

Onana is like Santa Claus.

That is, if Santa gifted goals instead of presents.

Whether he's coming out and missing a punch.

Here comes Andre Onana, loose inside the penalty area.

It's two.

This time, former Manchester United Academy graduate Tyrell Warren has double Grimsby's lead.

Or letting in an easy goal.

Swings it in.

Oh, it's good all the way in.

I don't think anybody got a touch.

McGinn's free kick just dropped in.

Or messing up with the ball at his feet.

Onana always finds a way to improve the confidence of opposition attackers.

I actually sent my Wi-Fi password as Onana and what do you know?

Everybody in my neighborhood bypassed it with no problem.

But while he is now the joke of the footballing world, that wasn't always the case.

He was once seen as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, a product of Barcelona's academy,

a star at Ajax, and the man trusted to start in a Champions League final for Inter Milan.

Playing with Onana was like playing with a midfielder in net, yet now it's like watching speed in goal.

Did his hands just turn into jello, or is his fall just another casualty of the toxic Manchester United environment?

To understand how far he has fallen, we have to go to the beginning.

Because at one point, Onana was so good that he was actually scouted by Barcelona.

In 2010 when he was just 14, Onana joined Barcelona's famous La Masia Academy.

Because of FIFA rules about young players from outside of Europe, he also spent short spells at local clubs like Cornella and Vista Alegre while developing.

At Barca, he worked his way up through the youth teams and even faced Ajax in the UEFA Youth League, a little hint of what was to come later.

By the end of 2014, his contract was running out, and Barcelona agreed to sell him to Ajax for just 150,000 euros, with possible bonuses up to 500,000 euros.

The move made sense, since breaking into Barcelona's senior team at that time looked nearly impossible for such a young keeper.

When Onana joined Ajax at 18 years old, he wasn't meant to be a star right away.

He started out with young Ajax, the reserve team, and made his first pro appearance in the Dutch second division in early 2015.

At first it was all about adapting to a new country and style of football.

But everything changed in 2016 when Ajax's number 1 keeper Sillison left.

Onana ended up stepping up, grabbing the starting spot and never letting go.

Under coaches like Peter Boss and later Eric Ten Hag, Onana became one of the key players in a very young Ajax side.

By 21 he was already in goal for Ajax's run to the 2017 Europa League final.

Two years later, he was at the heart of their famous Champions League run in 2019

when Ajax knocked out Real Madrid and Juventus before falling just short in the semi-finals.

Domestically, he was just as successful, winning the Eredivisie three times.

By then, most people considered him one of the best keepers in the world.

What made him stand out was his style.

He wasn't just a shot stopper, he was excellent with his feet.

It was like having an extra outfield player.

Ajax legend Edwin van der Sar, who was the club's CEO, pushed him to keep playing out from the back even when it looked risky.

Some pundits thought he was too cocky at times, calling him overconfident or careless.

And Onana proved them wrong more often than not.

For example, in a 2008 Champions League match against Benfica, he made a couple of mistakes early on.

Messing up a back pass and missing a cross.

But he redeemed himself with a massive save and stoppage time that secured Ajax a draw.

That game kind of summed him up perfectly.

He was unpredictable at times, but capable of game-saving brilliance.

Then came the setback that almost derailed everything.

In February of 2021, UEFA handed him a 12-month ban after he failed a doping test.

They found a banned substance in his system.

Onana explained that it was an accident.

He had taken what he thought was an aspirin for a headache, but it turned out to be his wife's prescription medication.

UEFA admitted that there was no intent to cheat, but they still banned him for a year.

After the appeal, they cut it down to 9 months, but the damage was already done.

He didn't even train with Ajax during that time.

A keeper who had played every game up until January, suddenly found himself sitting at home, watching his teammates celebrate titles without him.

He later called it one of the hardest and loneliest moments of his career.

Onana came back in late of 2021, but his relationship with Ajax was just never the same again.

He was in the last year of his contract

and had already made it clear that he wasn't going to sign a new one.

The club slowly started to phase him out, giving more minutes to other keepers.

By the summer of 2022, after 214 appearances for Ajax, he officially left as a free agent.

Looking back though, his Ajax career was mostly a success story.

He went from a young unproven signing to one of the most exciting keepers in Europe, winning trophies and making a name for himself on the biggest stage.

But it also came with some big lows the doping ban, a glimpse into the high profile mistakes that he can make, and a sour ending with the club.

Still though, when he left, plenty of top teams were lining up for him, proof of just how highly he was rated at that time.

So in the summer of 2022, Onana made the move to Inter Milan on a free transfer.

He arrived as a long-term replacement for Samir Handanovic, though at first he had to share the minutes with the club captain.

Inzaghi rotated the two, usually giving Onana the cup and the Champions League games, but it didn't take long for him to show his quality and eventually win the number one spot outright.

His first season was a huge success.

Inter won the Supercoppa Italiana in January of 2023 against their rivals AC Milan and then later added the Coppa Italia.

Onana had been in goal for both of those finals, showing that he had already become a trusted figure in the biggest matches.

Where he really made his name though was in the Champions League.

Onana kept more clean sheets than any other keeper in the 2022-2023 campaign, 7 in 13 matches, helping Inter all the way to the final in Istanbul.

Now even though Inter Milan lost 1-0 to Manchester City, Onana came out with a lot of respect.

Pep praised him for playing like a holding midfielder

because of how calm and accurate he was with the ball at his feet.

Onana usually built the play up from the back with the three centre-backs in front of him.

If the press was too strong, he'd go long to the defensive midfielder, or look wide to either fullbacks to push the ball up the flanks.

At 27, he looked like a keeper at the peak of his powers.

That final fell at the highest point of his career, proof that he was one of Europe's most elite goalies.

But even at his peak, there was drama.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he had a major fallout with Cameroon's national team.

After playing the first group match, he clashed with the coach over tactics.

Onana wanted to keep playing out from the back, sticking to his style, but the coach wanted him to play more direct.

The disagreement blew up, and the federation sent him home for disciplinary reasons.

Onana later said that he was heartbroken that he wasn't able to help his country, but this was yet another example that showed how a strong personality could create conflict.

After that season, Inter's financial situation forced them to sell.

In July of 2023, Manchester United came calling, and they paid 43.8 million pounds to bring him in as their number one.

Onana ended up leaving Italy as a Champions League finalist, a double cup winner, and a keeper being talked about as one of the very best in the world.

At the time, United were desperately looking for a goalie who was good with his feet, because they felt that David De Gea was holding them back.

The hope was that Onana's elite ability to play out from the back would take United to another level.

Unfortunately, that opinion has not aged well.

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De Gea went on to be fantastic for Fiorentina, while, as we will see later in the video, Onana continued to make mistakes playing out from the back, which was supposed to be his main strength.

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At that time though, Onana was significantly better on the ball than De Gea.

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This graphic shows every goal kick from De Gea in the Premier League

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and Onana in the Champions League in the 2023 season.

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It highlights how Onana was able to find his defensive midfielder with short passes, and how he was even better at hitting accurate long balls up to the forwards.

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The passing maps show that Onana is better at picking out teammates in nearly every direction.

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When you added it all up, the data made it very clear.

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Onana beat De Gea in almost every passing stat.

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The only real difference was that De Gea usually kicked the ball much further up the pit.

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When compared to all goalkeepers in Europe's top 5 leagues, both De Gea and Onana were among the best at blocking close range shots and keeping clean sheets.

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But the big difference was that Onana also ranked in the top 5% for completing passes and avoiding big mistakes.

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And he was also stronger at stopping long range shots than De Gea.

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Add in the fact that he was being reunited with Eric Ten Hag, the man who had gotten the best out of him at Ajax, and it seemed like it was a recipe for success.

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Instead, what followed was a run of mistakes

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that made all of us question whether Onana is actually a professional football player or he's doing some sort of comedy sketch.

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His debut came against Wolves in August of 2023.

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United won 1-0 and Onana kept a clean sheet, but the game ended with him charging into an opposition striker and somehow getting away with it.

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VAR didn't give a penalty, but it it was an early sign about his risky decisions.

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In the weeks that followed, he was already getting blamed for goals against Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, and Bright.

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Fans were very quick to question his positioning, especially since he was replacing a long-serving legend like De Gea.

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Then came a big mistake in the Champions League opener against Bayern Munich.

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A soft shot from Sane slipped right through him.

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The kind of mistake you'd never expect from a top keeper.

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Bayern went on to win 4-3.

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I know it's a team game, but you can genuinely make a case that But Onana single handedly calls United to exit the Champions League.

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In his 6 Champions League games, his errors led to 3 extra goals being conceded.

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And if you watched those matches, you'd probably say that the stats were actually being kind to him.

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According to Opta, Onana had made the most errors leading to an opposition goal in the Champions League since the 2018-2019 season.

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And the thing is his errors just kept piling up.

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Against Galatasaray at Old Trafford, he passed the ball straight to Dries Mern, forcing Casimir to foul him for a penalty and a red card.

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Even though the penalty was missed, United collapsed and lost 3-2.

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In the return match in Turkey, it got worse.

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Two Hakim Ziyech free kicks turned into goals after Onana completely misjudged them.

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One slipped through his hands, another one under his arm.

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United threw away a lead and drew 3-3.

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With the home crowd chanting, welcome to hell, at him all night.

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And the worst part was that the mistakes didn't just happen in Europe.

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They also happened in the Premier League.

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He looked shaky

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and a heavy loss to Brighton.

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And then once again in Europe, he was caught wandering off his line against Copenhagen.

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He did save a penalty in that game, but even that didn't stop the criticism.

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By the end of 2023, United had one of their worst defensive records in years, and the fingers kept pointing at Onana.

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Onana's shot stopping style relies on perfect timing and top tier athleticism.

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But ever since he joined United, he's been off on both fronts.

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Adjusting to life in England hadn't been easy, and it showed.

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Onana had this really bad habit of pushing shots back into

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dangerous areas way more often than he used to in previous seasons.

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In fact, even when things were going well, it was obvious that these type of saves were not going to last forever.

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It wasn't sustainable.

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A good example of this can be found in United's 3-0 away win against Everton.

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As Everton attacked out on goal, Onana does well to close down the angles for a near post shot, and parries away the eventual initial effort from Calvert-Lewin.

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However, this save sees the ball spin out into the path of Dwight McNeil, who has an additional attempt on goal.

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Everton nearly scored from here, but Kobe Maynou managed to get back and clear off the line.

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We saw the same issue in United's 1-0 win over Loon.

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Carlton Morris had a header at Onana's near post, and while Onana did make the save, he pushed it back into play, instead of knocking it out safely for a corner.

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Luckily for him, Harry Maguire reacted first, and Victor Lindelof was able to clean things up and stop the danger.

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In the 1-0 away win at Fulham, Harry Wilson tried his luck with a long range shot.

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United defenders were caught off guard, but Onana reacted well and pulled off an acrobatic save to keep it out of the top corner.

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The problem though, once again, was that he pushed the ball back into danger.

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It dropped into the 6 yard box

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and this time Scott McTominay had to step in to stop Andres Pereira from tapping it in.

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The next few seasons didn't change the story much.

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Yes, he had some good stretches and at one point I believe he had the most clean sheets, but the mistakes just never went away.

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For example, at one point he had made the most saves per game out of any United goalkeeper.

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But stats like that became meaningless

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because he kept having some shocking performances like what he did against Sheffield in April of 2024.

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You see, when Onana first arrived at United, he was praised as one of the best in the world when it came to playing out from the back.

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That was supposed to be his big strength.

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But the problem with playing these risky passes is that you actually have to find your teammates.

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He completely messed this up against Sheffield United, who were the weakest team in the league at the time.

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Trying to play out, he aimed a soft pass towards Dallo, but it was easily intercepted by Jadon Bogle, who slotted it home to give the Blades a shock lead.

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United eventually came back to win 4-2, which saved Onana from some harsh headlines, but again it was one of the many mistakes he had made for the club.

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Then there was his nightmare against Lyon in the Europa League quarter finals in April of 2025.

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First, he misread a long free kick and let it bounce past him into the net.

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I mean this guy genuinely wouldn't be able to save a word document.

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Then in stoppage time he pushed an easy save straight to Scherke, who scored the equalizer.

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Keep in mind, this came after Matic called him the worst goalkeeper in Manchester United's history.

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Onana wasn't the same goalkeeper who shined in the Champions League with Inter.

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His sweeper-keeper style, once seen as brave and modern, was now just reckless and unreliable in United's messy defensive setup.

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Against Brighton in January, things went from bad to worse for Onana.

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United were chasing the game.

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What he made the kind of mistake, you just can't explain.

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A low cross came in from Ayari, and with no Brighton player near him, Onana came out to collect it.

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Now instead of a routine catch, he fumbled it straight into the path of Rutter, who gladly tapped it in to make it 3-1.

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After the match, Amorim summed it up pretty brutally, saying he was coaching the worst team in the history of Manchester United.

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We are being the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United.

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And it was hard to argue.

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Moments like Onana's blunder showed that they really were one of the worst teams ever.

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Injuries in United's backline didn't help him, but his unforced errors just made things worse.

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What should have been a new era for United instead became a long list of mistakes.

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And it's not hard to see why many call him the worst keeper to have ever played for Manchester United.

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For example, in February of 2025, when United played against Ipswich at Old Trafford, Jadon Filijin scored an early goal after a mix-up at the back.

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Now the new signing, Dogu, took most of the blame, but Onana didn't help either.

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He rushed out of his goal without calling for the ball, leaving everybody confused.

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It was another example of how often he looked out of sync with his teammates and struggled to control his penalty area.

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And the worst part, that wasn't even his biggest mistake in that match.

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From a kid in Barcelona's academy to becoming Ajax's star goalkeeper, Onana's career looked like it was only going one way, up.

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Even the doping ban that could have ruined him, only slowed him down a bit.

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He bounced back, reached his peak at Inter Milan, and played in a Champions League final.

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But everything changed when he moved to Manchester United.

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That same bold style that once made him special started turning into costly mistakes.

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Confidence turned into doubt.

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And the keeper who was once praised for his bravery is now the joke of English football.

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At his age, Onana should be in his prime.

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Instead, he has become an example of how to not be a good goalie.

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I can't even imagine what United fans feel watching this guy.

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I didn't even mention him conceding directly from a corner kick.

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Like, Onana is single-handedly responsible for all of us knowing what the term Olimpico means.

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Now, to be fair, it's hard for a goalie to shine when the entire team sucks.

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To see just how much United have dropped off from their glory days, you have to watch this video right here.

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Why This Video Is Perfect for IELTS Speaking Practice

The video’s mix of casual commentary and storytelling makes it ideal for honing conversational English. Its dynamic tone—shifting from critical analysis to historical context—mirrors the variety of topics in IELTS speaking tasks, helping learners practice expressing opinions, describing trends, and narrating events. The natural flow of the dialogue, with its mix of idioms (“turn into jello”) and vivid metaphors (“Santa gifted goals”), also exposes learners to real-world language use, a key skill for scoring well in IELTS.

Breaking Down Natural English Phrasing

Let’s examine three standout lines to see why they sound authentic:

“That's not hyperbole either.” This phrase smoothly counters potential doubt, a common conversational move. The word “either” here adds emphasis, showing the speaker is confident in their claim—perfect for IELTS part 3 discussions where you need to defend opinions.
“Playing with Onana was like playing with a midfielder in net.” The simile “like playing with a midfielder” uses relatable sports imagery to clarify a point. Native speakers often use such comparisons to simplify complex ideas, a technique learners can mimic to improve clarity.
“Did his hands just turn into jello, or is his fall just another casualty?” The rhetorical question and idiom “turn into jello” create engagement. This structure is great for practicing fluency in IELTS part 2, where storytelling needs to be vivid and interactive.

A Shadowing Routine to Master the Dialogue

Use the shadowing technique to internalize the video’s natural rhythm. Here’s a simple loop:

Watch a 10-second clip, focusing on intonation and stress. Notice how words like “worst” and “star” are emphasized for effect.
Hit pause, then repeat the clip aloud immediately, mimicking the speaker’s pace and tone. This trains your mouth to form sounds like a native.
Record yourself and compare it to the original. Check if you matched the pauses (e.g., after “But while he is now the joke”) and the rise in pitch for questions.
Repeat with longer clips (20-30 seconds) as you improve. This builds stamina for IELTS speaking tasks, where you need to speak at length without hesitation.

Practicing with this video on a shadowing site or using shadowspeak tools will help you master conversational English quickly. The key is consistency—even 10 minutes a day can boost your fluency and confidence, making you ready for IELTS success.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	If the press was too strong, he'd go · if you watched those matches, you'd probably
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was actually scouted · wasn't meant · was already done
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have ever seen · has conceded · has fallen
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	back, which was · man who had

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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