Ruben Amorim’s team selection has raised a lot of eyebrows in the two Premier League games so far, but one call of his hints at an ambitious plan for his next signing.
The theme of both games so far has been the non-involvement of Kobbie Mainoo, but with Carlos Baleba out of sight, there’s nothing to anticipate there.
Goalkeeper is the other big hole in the team, where Altay Bayindir has started and failed to convince in both games.
Andre Onana is clearly not in favour either, hence the talks for Senne Lammens speeding up. Ruben Amorim’s call vs Fulham is a possible hint at an ambitious plan for Lammens if/when he arrives.
Ruben Amorim has ambitious Senne Lammens plan
Senne Lammens is an exciting signing because he is an old-school shot-stopper with a good command of his area, along with serviceable skills on the ball.
The only red flag is how his skills translate from the Belgian League to the Premier League, considering he’s still young and has had one truly brilliant season.
The ceiling is high, and he will need time and patience to come good, but Amorim’s XI vs Fulham hints that he’s ready to throw him in at the deep end.
Amorim won’t admit it, but Onana was the clear No. 1 at the club, and the way he was dropped for the Fulham game spoke volumes.
Against Arsenal, there were mitigating factors of the Cameroonian recently returning from injury and Bayindir doing fairly well in pre-season.
However, with Bayindir’s error against Arsenal, and Onana having another week of training in his legs, his omission from the starting XI was too big an issue to brush under the carpet.
It’s a possible hint that Amorim is keeping the No. 1 spot warm for Lammens, and that can only be done if Onana isn’t given a chance to show his form before he arrives.
Once Lammens arrives, Bayindir will be dropped, and Onana will have to fight from underneath to secure his No. 1 status, especially with games against Burnley and Grimsby providing a theoretical soft landing for Lammens.
Lammens has a golden opportunity
It’s a lot to ask of a 23-year-old coming from the Belgian league to become Man Utd’s No. 1 straight away, but the flipside is that it’s a golden opportunity for Lammens.
The goalkeeping position at Old Trafford is there to be taken for any player who grabs it by the scruff of its neck and plays well.
The situation with Bayindir and Onana is completely fluid, and Tom Heaton is clearly viewed as merely a dressing room leader, not a playing presence.
In such a situation, if Lammens comes in and has two good games, against Grimsby and Burnley, then the No. 1 spot could easily be his to lose.
It will have a dual benefit of lighting a fire under Onana and forcing Lammens to stay on his toes, with Man Utd being the ultimate beneficiaries of the competition.
Even if he isn’t up to it immediately, just shoring up the goalkeeping ranks will provide a much-needed jolt to the squad.
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