Senne Lammens has recently revealed which game was the “best” in his career and how he wants to replicate that performance.
Since the appointment of Michael Carrick, Manchester United have gone from strength to strength. From being knocked out of the FA Cup to Brighton and sitting seventh in the Premier League, to beating the top two sides in the league and firmly in the race for Champions League football, sitting in fourth.
United’s attack has been lethal all season and has continued to be so under Carrick as the side has scored five goals in two games, and it could have been more if it were not for three ruled out for offside against Manchester City.
However, the defence is where the biggest improvement can be seen, which could be down to the shrewd appointment of Steve Holland as assistant.
The entire backline looked much more comfortable and assured, which was especially noticeable against City, where they kept a clean sheet, and largely shut down the attack against Arsenal.
Lammens proud of derby result
After being signed on deadline day, Senne Lammens has arguably been the most transformative signing from the summer.
It took a while for the Belgian to get his opportunity, as he had to be the deputy to Altay Bayindir at the start of the season. However, it all changed after he made his debut against Sunderland, keeping a clean sheet and backing it up with an assured performance at Anfield, where United won against Liverpool.
Since then, he has continued to be a breath of fresh air compared to his predecessor. Where Andre Onana would be erratic and unpredictable, there is a coolness that follows Lammens. Whether it is his shot-stopping or ability to play out from the back, he has a calmness that keeps not only his team but also the fans at ease.
In recent times, he has made big saves against City and especially against Arsenal, keeping the Red Devils in position to take all three points.
The shotstopper spoke to MUTV about his favourite moment so far, the Manchester Derby. “I think it has to be one of the best, if not the best games I’ve been part of, just in every facet,” said Lammens.
“Like defending, attacking, the amount of chances we created, not giving away any chances.
“I thought it was really something that Saturday, so we hope we can do it like almost every home game, to be honest.”
Fulham will be a new test
Before the Manchester derby, many fans and pundits alike did not think United would get one result, let alone two wins, and it was widely accepted that the Fulham game would be where Carrick should be judged.
However, after two performances where United dominated as the underdog, the pressure is now all on United to be the favourites against Fulham, especially at Old Trafford.
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Being the favourite is often where the Red Devils have failed to live up to expectations and perform accordingly. Against City and Arsenal, United were able to soak up pressure and hit them both on the counter. Whereas against Fulham, Carrick’s side will likely have most of the ball and have to patiently unlock what might be a low block.
This will be the litmus test to see how far United have come.
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