Senne Lammens has been among Manchester United’s best players this season after his Transfer Deadline Day move from Royal Antwerp.
Manchester United have looked like a completely different side this season, especially since Senne Lammens replaced Altay Bayindir against Sunderland in early October.
The young Belgian has brought a level of composure and calmness that hasn’t been seen at Old Trafford in a very long time. It didn’t take long for the fans to start chanting: “Are you Schmeichel in disguise?”
Lammens is the first goalkeeper to be signed by Rúben Amorim, as Andre Onana left the club on a season-long loan to Trabzonspor in the Turkish top flight.
The Cameroonian struggled since his move from Inter Milan, despite coming into a side with his former manager (Erik ten Hag), many of his former teammates, and off the back of a brilliant performance in the Champions League final against Manchester City.
Replacing David de Gea was never going to be an easy task, but it is clear that Onana will never be that man. But, it appears that Lammens can.
The hidden attribute behind Lammens’ success
Lammens is known for his calm nature and composure in between the sticks, but his shot-stopping has also been impressive. Former United player, Lee Sharpe, said: “He has the calmness and presence of Edwin but the shot-stopping and goalkeeping prowess of Peter.”
However, the reason behind his success isn’t his unbelievable shot-stopping or composure in dangerous situations; although that does help, it’s his passing style when the ball is at his feet.
As per FBREF, Lammens attempts over 30 long passes – passes over 40 yards – per game, ranking him in the 99th percentile of goalkeepers in the top five leagues.
His goal kicks are also launched long: FBREF say that the average length of his goal kicks is over 65 yards, while 100% of them are played over 40 yards.
Unlike his predecessor, Onana, Lammens plays it long on almost every occasion, limiting the opportunities to make mistakes playing out from the back, allowing him to focus on his shot-stopping.
Amorim has played masterstroke with Lammens tactics
Lammens wouldn’t be launching every goal kick long if he hadn’t been instructed to, but if his accuracy going long was poor, then United wouldn’t be benefiting from the change in goalkeeper instructions.
While it may not have been Amorim’s decision to sign Lammens, his decision to instruct him to play it long has been a masterstroke and seriously helped the side transition from back to front.
It hasn’t stopped United playing out from the back – Matthijs de Ligt is still often seen in midfield in the first phase, before dropping off and playing a first-time pass to Leny Yoro – but it means the opposition don’t press as high because they are wary of the long ball.
The change in goalkeeping instructions could also pave the way for Radek Vitek to be integrated into the senior side next season. Vitek has impressed on loan at Bristol City this season, with brilliant saves almost every week.
While Vitek doesn’t play as many long passes, he has shown he has a brilliant passing range and could transition to the system during pre-season in the summer.
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