Wes Brown has made a “strange” claim about Manchester United’s goalkeeping situation last season after Senne Lammens’ positive start.
Since Senne Lammens made his debut against Sunderland this season, Manchester United have looked much more solid and stable, with a new level of composure at the back.
While Lammens has received lots of praise since his Premier League debut, many often leave out one standout attribute that has massively benefited Rúben Amorim’s side and played a crucial role in the win against Liverpool.
He replaced Altay Bayindir, who started the season as United’s starting shotstopper, with Andre Onana left on the bench. The former Inter Milan goalkeeper made a move to Trabzonspor in the last days of the window, with Lammens coming on Deadline Day.
Onana struggled at Old Trafford from the outset. He conceded a halfway line effort before his official United career began, during pre-season. While he was immense in the Champions League final before his move to United, he never hit the same form under Erik ten Hag or Amorim.
Replacing David de Gea was never going to be an easy task, but United made a really poor decision with Onana. However, former United defender Wes Brown has revealed he “didn’t mind” the 29-year-old.
Brown reveals why he “didn’t mind” Onana
Onana was always a player who divided the fan base due to his unique style, playing out from the back. But, he did show signs of being a good player for the Red Devils, most notably his save in the last minutes against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League.
When asked about the former goalkeeper, Brown told MEN: “I actually didn’t mind Andre Onana. But there was just something strange with him every game, and Manchester United just needed to make that all go away and have a few games where no big mistakes happened.
“Sometimes all you need to say as a goalkeeper is: ‘You know what, I’m not going to play it around the back, I’m just going to smack it forward as far as I can'”.
Onana’s problem seemed to be that he lacked the know-how of when to play out from the back and when to go long. However, his successor already seems to have picked that up in a matter of weeks at the club.
Brown happy with Lammens start
Later on, Brown was asked about Lammens’ start in a red shirt. He said, “Lammens, with all the pressure that must have been on his shoulders when he came in, has handled it so well. He comes out for crosses and catches really well, which is a big breath of fresh air for everyone.
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“He’s really solid and has taken everything in his stride, which is all that you want from your goalkeeper.”
Lammens’ “solid” start may help him keep his place going into next season when Radek Vitek returns from his season-long loan at Bristol City.
Vitek has kept five clean sheets in the Championship, with Bristol City now sitting 8th, level on points with Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town.
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