Lammens Emerges as Manchester United’s Reliable Goalkeeper

In recent months, high-profile signing Andre Onana transitioned from being the first-choice goalkeeper at Old Trafford to being loaned out to Trabzonspor. Meanwhile, Altay Bayindir held the number one position briefly before returning to the bench. Consequently, Lammens has emerged as the key figure anchoring Manchester United’s defense following his transfer from the Belgian Pro League.

After achieving several clean sheets for the Red Devils, Lammens has been compared to club icon Peter Schmeichel by enthusiastic United fans. On this honor, he remarked, “It was really nice to hear it already in the first game against Sunderland. I think it is a sign that the fans are happy with me. It feels really good that I can give them that trust.”

Following a narrow 1-0 victory over Newcastle, former England international Rio Ferdinand praised Lammens as a significant asset to head coach Amorim’s squad, asserting that he could be Manchester United’s goalkeeper for the next decade. Ferdinand stated on his show, “Lammens is a solid addition to this squad. He’s going to be Manchester United’s keeper for the next ten years, no doubt. He is as solid as a rock. No frills, just gets it done. You need him to claim the ball at the edge of his six-yard box, and he will do so, which is beautiful to see.”

Ferdinand also speculated on Lammens’s character, suggesting he may not be the most vibrant personality off the pitch, but is undeniably dependable on it. “I bet he’s a boring fella, I bet there’s not much in terms of that, but he’s intelligent, a lovely guy. However, on a night out, I don’t reckon he’d be the one you’d want to spend most of the night with, no disrespect; most goalkeepers aren’t anyway. But on the football pitch, you’d feel secure knowing he’s behind you. He’s one of those keepers you trust.”

He emphasized the search for a consistent goalkeeper, stating, “In the last seven minutes of extra time, he came out and claimed two balls in his six-yard box comfortably. He alleviates pressure from the defense—an absolute lifesaver for defenders. It’s a great feeling to know where your goalkeeper is when you turn around, and Lammens is one of those.”

Despite having only 33 percent possession and managing ten shots compared to Newcastle’s sixteen, United secured all three points at home. Coach Amorim acknowledged the team’s collective effort, saying, “We had to suffer all together in the stadium. We had a good first half, but in the second half, we just had to defend and try to create opportunities. It was a good win, but I’ve had so many games where we played well and didn’t secure the three points. Today was the opposite; we suffered together and managed to win.”

Manchester United has the opportunity to leapfrog Chelsea into fourth place by defeating Wolves next Tuesday, provided Chelsea fails to secure victories against Aston Villa and Bournemouth in their concluding fixtures of the year. Despite the criticism directed at Amorim and the club, there are signs of improvement for the Premier League giants.