Senne Lammens Is Giving Man Utd What They Needed After André Onana

Old Trafford has spent two seasons riding the André Onana roller-coaster—spectacular one week, self-sabotaging the next. On Monday night, the mood around the Stretford End felt steadier. Senne Lammens, the understated Belgian signed from Royal Antwerp, picked up the Player-of-the-Match award in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton, and in doing so offered the clearest evidence yet that Manchester United have swapped thrills for reliability between the posts.

Where Onana sometimes chased headlines, Lammens chases competence. Speaking in his first formal briefing with the UK press pack—including BBC Sport, the Daily Mail and Guardian—the 25-year-old outlined a philosophy that sounds almost revolutionary in an age of goalkeeper-sweepers obsessed with viral clips: “Pride in doing everything well, maybe not always the box-office stuff.”

Edwin van der Sar, guesting on Sky Sports Monday Night Football, distilled the new approach: “He makes saves when needed, not looking to make saves when not necessary.” It is the sort of restraint that underpinned United’s last two golden-era keepers—Van der Sar himself and David de Gea—while the more flamboyant Fabien Barthez flamed out after three campaigns.

Lammens’ low-maintenance style is already suiting a side that has spent recent years compensating for individual errors. “Sometimes at United I don’t really have a lot to do,” he admitted. “It’s a different kind of goalkeeping, but it’s also sometimes the most difficult when there are only one or two saves to be made.” His priority is “all-round and not really having any flaws,” a mantra borrowed from boyhood idol Manuel Neuer rather than compatriot Thibaut Courtois. “Neuer didn’t really have a weak point,” Lammens said. “That dependability is what you need if you want a long career at this level.”

Veteran deputy Tom Heaton has reinforced the message daily: “Don’t give things away; keep your team in the game.” It is advice Lammens followed to the letter against Everton, repeatedly plucking high, looping deliveries out of a congested six-yard box. “It’s one of my strengths,” he said of dealing with aerial bombardment. “I enjoy getting out of my comfort zone and dealing with those situations.”

The physicality of the Premier League was precisely why United pounced last summer. When manager Ruben Amorim left Onana on the bench after a pre-season injury, he turned first to Altay Bayındır, but the Turk’s hesitancy under crosses convinced the Portuguese to accelerate Lammens’ introduction. The Belgian’s sure handling has since allowed United’s back line to defend deeper without fear of a fatal flap.

There is no public animosity toward Onana—“It’s certainly not intended as a dig,” Lammens stressed—but the contrast is obvious. Where the Cameroonian could switch from world-class to wobbly in a heartbeat, his successor is selling Old Trafford the promise of 90 minutes without surprises. In a season of transition, that commodity may prove priceless.

SEO keywords: