One player has been crucial in Manchester United’s upturn of form, but not many have realised his importance to the side.
Manchester United currently sits fourth in the Premier League after 23 games played. They are ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool, and just eight points away from second-place Manchester City, whom they overcame in Michael Carrick’s first game in charge. Arsenal, who also tasted defeat to Carrick’s United, are 12 points ahead of the Red Devils with 15 games left to play in the Premier League.
The whole team has seen has serious improvement since Rúben Amorim left the club, with positive signs against Burnley and Brighton when Darren Fletcher was in charge. Despite not picking up a win during his interim spell, Fletcher appeared to improve the mood at Old Trafford, while getting the best out of Benjamin Šeško, who scored three in two games for the Scotsman.
Šeško has been out of the side since Carrick came in, as Bryan Mbeumo has taken his place since returning from the African Cup of Nations. Many would feel Mbeumo would play on the flank under a new coach, but Amad has claimed the right side, while Patrick Dorgu looked like a completely new player before his hamstring injury against Arsenal.
In Dorgu’s absence, Matheus Cunha is expected to play on the left-wing, but Mason Mount will also be hungry for the place. Mount didn’t feature against Arsenal, but impressed off the bench against Manchester City. He scored an offside goal that would’ve made it 3-0 to the Red Devils, but it was a great passage of play, nonetheless.
It’s easy to praise players under Carrick, but a few seem to have gone under the radar, none more so than Senne Lammens. Lammens started his United career as backup to Altay Bayindir, before taking his place against Sunderland at the start of October, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Lammens proves crucial against Arsenal
Since that debut against Sunderland – when everything was applauded from high claim to simple pass, after years of being scarred by Andre Onana – Lammens has been a mainstay in the side, with his form never dipping. The young Belgian could easily be mistaken for a seasoned veteran who has been playing in the Premier League for 20 years. But he’s just 23 years old.
In the capital on Sunday, Lammens was awarded the Man of the Match by FotMob, with an 8.2 rating. They say the Belgian made three saves, three high claims, three punches and 10 ball recoveries. It wasn’t a perfect display, though. Lammens was pushed out of the way for Arsenal’s second goal of the game, but a perfect performance from your goalkeeper is very rare, especially one as consistent as Lammens.
At just 23, Lammens continually proves his worth and shows why he is already the starting shotstopper, despite not being signed to be one, at first. It’s his composure and mindset that seem to set him apart from others. On the rare occasion he does make a mistake, it doesn’t trouble him. He simply picks himself up and goes again, as if he isn’t troubled by it all. “I think that’s one of my biggest strengths,” said Lammens when asked about his compsure on Inside Carrington.
“It always has been a little bit, because my character [away from football] is also a bit more relaxed, at ease, like more mellow, not really going too high or too low with your feelings. As a goalkeeper, if you want to support the team as well, you have to be reliable and not always doing the most crazy stuff, but like just doing the simple things good.
“Body language is also very important. It gives off a good feeling for myself, so yeah, I agree as well. And always something I check myself on every game, that [feeling of] not doing too much or going too high in emotions. I think also in my second game in Liverpool, most of the guys asked me how it felt, but to be honest, being here [at United] almost every game feels the same.”
Confidence in your goalkeeper
Confidence in your goalkeeper is something many teams take for granted, and United did, too. David de Gea blessed Old Trafford for over 10 years with ridiculous saves that no other goalkeeper could make. When he was in goal, no fan felt worried. Even his backup, Sergio Romero, inserted confidence and belief into United fans, and players.
For the backline – three, four or five – having confidence in your shotstopper is crucial. If you do, you feel free to try more expansive passes, drive the team forward and play with positivity – that the rest of the team tends to match. If you don’t, though, you play reserved, careful, within yourself – again, the rest of the time like to replicate their backline in their play. A good goalkeeper is the platform a side needs to go from bad to okay, okay to good, good to great, and great to title-winning.
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Lammens, while a complete unknown at the start of the season, could be that goalkeeper for United. He has already seen defenders in front of him improve, most notably Ayden Heaven. In Heaven’s first Premier League start of the season, against West Ham United, Heaven looked worried and awkward, so much so that he was withdrawn at halftime. But did that continue? No. Heaven quickly became United’s best defender, even after Lisandro Martínez returned from injury.
Finally, and it is finally, United have their goalkeeper. Now, they must move on to other positions. Solve the midfield crisis, which started with Michael Carrick’s retirment. Solve the left-wing issue, with no Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford to play their. Solve the issue that has seen the club go backwards for years.
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