Manchester United’s summer signing Senne Lammens has been turning heads at Old Trafford since his move from Royal Antwerp. The goalkeeper made a strong start with a clean sheet in his debut match against Sunderland before the international break and was kept on by manager Ruben Amorim for the victory over Liverpool last weekend. United secured their first consecutive wins under the Portuguese coach with a long-overdue triumph at Anfield, nearly a year after his appointment.
However, insiders at Old Trafford have advised patience with the young Belgian, pointing out a few shaky moments in his initial games, according to The Sun. Lammens had a close call in the Sunderland match when he rushed out to intercept winger Bertrand Traore, colliding with teammate Bruno Fernandes, but luckily no penalty was awarded. In the Liverpool win, he dropped the ball in the first half, yet club staff have praised his composed response to these minor errors.
His steady presence has been a refreshing change following Andre Onana’s unpredictable performances and Altay Bayindir’s mistakes.
The report suggests that the transfer fee for Lammens was modest enough to allow the club to bring in a more seasoned goalkeeper if the Belgian encounters difficulties.
United supporters have been singing the praises of Lammens, likening him to legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel with chants echoing from the stands.
“Senne did a great job [against Sunderland],” Amorim told journalists when quizzed about the Belgian’s league debut.
“It is possible he is going to start the game. The first impression in this club is really important, to maintain the level is really important and difficult.
“He’s not Schmeichel. He’s a young lad who has shown great composure and the fans have taken to him. He needs to prove himself.”
Rio Ferdinand has also been full of praise for Lammens, lauding the impact he’s already had on United’s backline.
On his podcast, he said: “I think what people don’t grasp, how important a goalkeeper is because he sends the vibrations through the team.
“His good vibrations reverberate through the team, the confidence, security, assuredness, confidence, any type of wavering from that to uncertainty and not sure what he’s going to do.
“You see the way the lads celebrated [with Lammens after beating Liverpool], it’s only his second game by the way, it was almost been like he’d been there a couple of years.
“It was like: ‘This is what we do’. It was so nice to see that togetherness and the celebrations are key for me, a marker, it can be over the top and forced but there was an aggression, a ‘let’s go’ and I hope that’s what we’re going to see.”