Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has lavished praise on summer arrival Senne Lammens for putting in composed and confident performances between the sticks as the Red Devils strive to bring back their glory days at Old Trafford. The 23-year-old was promoted to become the new No.1 ahead of Turkish shot-stopper Altay Bayindir following an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to Brentford, and since then, the Belgian has made that position his own.
Lammens proves himself at United
There has been a lot of noise about the goalkeeping position at United since the departure of David de Gea. They signed Andre Onana from Inter after weeks of protracted negotiations for a massive £48 million ($61m) fee, but the Cameroonian flopped spectacularly at Old Trafford and often grabbed headlines for his gaffes and mistakes, instead of his shot-stopping abilities.
United fell to a 15th-place finish in the 2024-25 season, and the goalkeeper had to take a fair share of the blame for his ineptitude. The club’s faithful were calling for a change, and the board reacted by signing Lammens for an initial £18m (€21m/$24m) on deadline day from Royal Antwerp.
However, he was consigned to a spot on the bench as Bayindir was preferred by Amorim in the early weeks of the new season. But the Turkey international failed to capitalise on the trust placed in him by Amorim, and the defeat to Brentford was the final nail in the coffin.
Lammens waited patiently in the wings, and his opportunity finally arrived against Sunderland. He earned a clean sheet with three neat saves, and subsequently, after the international break, he continued with his form against Liverpool at Anfield, which has now led to effusive praise from his manager.
Amorim ‘surprised’ by Lammens’ form
“Senne Lammens has been great. His impact surprised me a little bit, because it is hard in the moment of our club and all of the speculation around our goalkeepers… he has coped really well with the pressure,” Amorim explained in a press conference.
His poise with the ball at his feet has been commendable, as it has allowed the two centre-halves more time to play out from the back, rather than hoofing it forward while dealing with the opposition’s press. Amorim has taken note of that quality and added: “He is really composed.”
Excited fans have already been comparing Lammens to legendary goalkeepers such as Peter Schmeichel, but Amorim has urged patience despite a bright performance against Liverpool on away turf.
“He’s not Schmeichel yet,” Amorim said. “He’s a young guy with talent. He showed a lot of composure, and the fans liked it. But again, that is in the past; we need to prove in the next game.”
However, Lammens could indeed turn out to be the next United legend in the future, if he holds his ground. Last season, with Antwerp, he made a total of 173 saves, stopping around 18.4 goals with a save percentage of 77.4. Amorim might have unearthed a rough diamond waiting to be polished.
Schmeichel thinks it’s too early for a verdict
However, Schmeichel has warned that United fans might be counting their eggs a bit too early. The former goalkeeper has urged caution as he believes the true qualities of the keeper will be revealed only in the latter half of the campaign.
Speaking on the Monday Night Club, Schmeichel remarked: “You think about the goalkeepers that we’ve had over these last couple of years and how many goals we’ve conceded from errors – nine already this season – it’s too much. My instruction when I played was to save the team 10 points a season, not give them away. It’s nice to see a clean sheet and a solid performance because that’s something we’ve not seen for a while.
“This young lad [Lammens didn’t have much to do for a long time, but he did well when called upon. You could see his confidence grow after that first save, and the defenders reacted well. It’s far too early to judge him, though; he’s young, hardly played any competitive football, and the pressure at Manchester United can be relentless.”
Schmeichel concluded: “He did well, it was clean and positive, things we haven’t been used to. But we’ll really see what kind of goalkeeper he is when he makes mistakes and has to respond to them. That’s when we’ll know how good he can be.”
Lammens faces tough Brighton test
Lammens is now the undisputed No.1 choice for Amorim. The team has earned six points from two games with his assuring presence between the sticks, and the Portuguese manager will not want to tinker again. His next test comes against Brighton at Old Trafford, and the Red Devils will be gunning for three consecutive victories in the Premier League, which will be a first during Amorim’s turbulent reign.