Senne Lammens has had to grow a thick skin fast. It is just over a year since his £18.2million move from Royal Antwerp. Now, at 24, Senne Lammens finds himself at the centre of a debate about whether he is good enough to be Manchester United’s long-term No.1.
Paul Scholes and Roy Keane have both questioned the goalkeeper in recent weeks. Keane asked how Lammens spent his time on the Old Trafford pitch after the derby defeat to Manchester City last month. Lammens has now responded, and his answer says a lot about how he sees the job.
Paul Scholes thinks Lammens isn’t good enough
Scholes raised the question that follows every young goalkeeper at a big club. He asked:
“What team have you seen win the Premier League without a top-class goalkeeper?”
He pointed to Alisson at Liverpool, City’s own options, and David Raya at Arsenal. He also mentioned United’s history with Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar.
“Lammens might be that, I don’t know; I think the jury’s probably still out on that. You need a top-class goalkeeper. You think of Liverpool’s team with Alisson, City’s teams, Raya at Arsenal. Man United with Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar,” Scholes said. “They’ve all got brilliant, brilliant goalkeepers. You start from the back, of course you do.”
Keane also criticised Lammens for spending time with his family on the Old Trafford turf after the City defeat. According to the MEN report, that moment became part of the wider scrutiny Lammens now faces as United’s first choice.
Lammens answered both critics directly.
“Playing for United hasn’t changed my character. You do have to be mentally strong and have self-confidence in the face of all those people expressing their opinions. I can imagine that isn’t easy for everyone,” he said.
Lammens comes with a calm reply as he is often seen between the sticks. It also says plenty about the mentality behind United’s new No.1.
There is no neat data set that settles the Scholes debate. What we do have is Lammens’ own account of how he has adjusted to the step up from Belgian football to Old Trafford.
“I love playing all those Premier League matches. Premier League, Nations League… It doesn’t feel any different,” Lammens said.
Lammens, in his own words, doesn’t believe that English football has rattled him any more than international duty has.
That mindset matters given the context behind the Scholes verdict.
Scholes is a former United Premier League winner with firm views on what a title-winning side needs. However, many of the former Manchester United players have been criticised for their undue criticism of players. The Lammens comments are exactly another episode of that.
What’s next for Senne Lammens
The Belgium picture adds another layer. Thibaut Courtois has stepped away from international duty during the Nations League, which leaves the door open for Lammens with the national side. Even so, Lammens is not dwelling on it.
“We haven’t talked about it [Courtois] much,” he said, before adding: “I think it is important to focus on the current matches and the players who are here.”
He showed that same approach after the World Cup error that drew criticism earlier this year, and again in his Belgium redemption since then. His message has stayed the same each time. Look forward, not back.
“I think I am the number one now. It is important that I perform well and am ready immediately. I cannot control what the future holds. But I can control my performances,” Lammens said.
Lammens knows the scrutiny will not go away. He has decided the only answer worth giving comes on the pitch.
