Ruben Amorim will be left disappointed with the final result in Manchester United’s 4-3 loss to Tottenham but the performance gave much cause for optimism.
Individual errors cost Man Utd (again) as Spurs progressed in the Carabao Cup despite Ruben Amorim’s team dominating possession and chances on the overall balance of the game.
Amorim refused to name names after the game but it was impossible to look at it and not come away with the conclusion that the result would’ve been different if not for Altay Bayindir’s nightmare display.
Given his third League Cup game this season, remarkably, one each by a different manager, Bayindir has now failed to impress in two of those.
He looked untroubled only in United’s 7-0 victory over Barnsley but the standard of opposition left a lot to be desired there.
In the process, his performances have given the club a firm reminder of the importance and qualities of a free transfer they managed to make in 2015.
Altay Bayindir and the perfect backup goalkeeper
United’s goalkeeping situation underwent a complete overhaul in the summer of 2023, with David de Gea’s contract expiring, Dean Henderson having left the club, and Tom Heaton only being an influential dressing-room presence.
Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir came in as first and second-choice respectively but at no point did it feel like Bayindir was anything but a firm backup.
That was far from the case when Henderson was at Old Trafford, where it felt like he was breathing down De Gea’s neck and it ended with the academy product charting his own path away from the club successfully.
The current predicament at United is the extreme opposite, where Onana is completely unchallenged as the first-choice which is not ideal for any player at the top level, no matter how driven they are.
Therefore, it’s not ideal for the backup to be too good and it’s not preferable that the backup doesn’t challenge the first-choice at all.
What’s the sweet spot then? United had that sweet spot sealed with the free transfer in 2015 of Sergio Romero, who played as De Gea’s backup.
Sergio Romero hasn’t been replaced by Man Utd
Sergio Romero showed what the ideal scenario is when it comes to being a backup goalkeeper.
Romero was never itchy and outspoken about his lack of games but whenever he played, United barely skipped a beat as he came into the team as if he played every week.
The Argentinian’s form in United’s Europa League-winning run is basically the stuff of legends among Man Utd fans, so eerily calm and confident he was between the sticks.
His relationship with the club was ultimately soured under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who never really trusted him as much as Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho did.
However, until then, he was the perfect backup goalkeeper, ready to do his job with perfection when called upon but never causing upheaval in the camp over a lack of opportunities.
How United could have used a Romero-like backup vs Spurs. Another cup run could have been firmly on the agenda!
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