Ruben Amorim handed summer signing Lammens his Manchester United debut, dropping Bayindir after a string of poor performances. The 23-year-old Belgian seized his opportunity by keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory against newly-promoted Sunderland. His performance came at a time when United‘s goalkeeping department has been under intense scrutiny following repeated mistakes by Onana and Bayindir over the last couple of seasons.
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.”
He continued: “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 joined United in the summer as part of Amorim’s efforts to rejuvenate the squad following Onana’s loan exit to Trabzonspor. Despite limited senior experience, the Belgian has been tipped as one for the future after impressing in training. His debut performance offered a glimmer of hope for United’s defensive stability, which has been tested frequently in recent months.
Lammens is expected to retain his place after the international break, giving him another chance to stake his claim as Amorim’s No.1. The young Belgian will be under the gun when Manchester United face off against Liverpool in the Premier League on October 19.
