I'm an ex keeper too and I dont think he gets to play for for 4 massive clubs with fundamental falls in his technique as you described because that amounts to conceding goals more so than any other position.
His style like many non-European goalkeepers is different, not as pleasing on the eye. Brazil have two of the best now, but others before them very similar to him stylistically. I think non-European keepers especially the African keepers without generalising, are more explosive in how they keep the ball out the net.
I think whats going on in front of you has a massive impact on your decision making. A steady back four, rather than second guessing what players are doing, you know how the defence reacts to different situations.
I think when you arrive at PL, like every other position but arguable even more as a keeper, he wouldnt have played in a league like this where you are either constant under attack or your watch a team low block then quickly counter attack. We have seen him take up some strange positions when teams counter attack. Certainly wouldnt have faced this many crosses.
More than anything else, I think hes trying too hard to prove he can fill the gloves of DDG. Im sure no one would have thought the skinny white lad from Spain would end up being so great. Onana needs to be given more of a chance than half of a turbulent season of uncertainty in general.
Goalkeepering in this league takes a while to settle whilst you are coming to terms with it. We have a lot of new keepers who are making lots of mistakes. What I like about him is hes mentally strong and doesnt come across like the clubs to big for him.
Patience is needed even if aesthetically hes not as pleasing on the eye as DDG. He doing something right to have the second highest save %, and I think some really top saves are going under the radar. The save against the Villa at 2-1, where his weight was on the other foot, was outstanding. There was a save from a point blank header as well but I cant remember the game?
I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I've just never seen a keeper at this level be so all over the place with some of the fundamentals and yes that includes previous brazillian 'unorthodox' goalkeepers.
I also feel your point about him needing time to adjust to the Premier league is undermined by the fact some of his worst errors and most shaky performances have been in the CL where you can pretty much say he scuppered our entire campaign.
Final point I'll take issue with is 'no one could have predicted what the skinny kid from Spain would become' because I absolutely did. I happened to see an Athletico vs Barca game, just randomly went on the streaming site when hungover and saw that match I decided to watch. DDG was amazing and I had been keeping an eye on him since then. I was over the moon when he signed and I believe I actually created this account to come to his defense over some of the rubbish I'd see spouted about him in his early days.
I dont think the two are comparable though; DDG came here as a raw but extremely talented GK. Onana has come here at pretty much his peak with a big reputation and yet I'm not seeing much to hang on to other than the occassional pinged long ball. Not enough for me.
Back when I'd be making the case for young DDG I would always say he has those things you can't teach; the reflexes, the spring, the almost gravity defying leaps at times. The hope was he just needed to improve on those things you'd thing should be able to be coached - coming from crosses, playing with his feet. OK arguably some aspects he never did fully master but you can't argue he didn't become a world class goalkeeper, often referred to as best in tbe world at times.
The defence is a mess, the whole team is a mess really but I don't think that's the reason for Onana being the shambles he has been. He's just another part of the mess, a large contributing factor in fact. You talk about the impact a shaky back four has on the keeper, what about the impact having a basket case goalkeeper is having on the rest of the team? Remember that time recently Dalot actually keepy-upped the ball over Onana - likely because he has absolutely no faith in him.
I dont care what the stats say about the amount of bread and butter saves he's made, it doesn't change what I've seen with my eyes.