Senne Lammens has been the biggest pleasant surprise of Man Utd’s season so far, but in Radek Vitek, he has a genuine competitor coming next season.
Radek Vitek is currently on loan at Bristol City in the Championship, while Senne Lammens has the benefit of being the impressive incumbent.
On paper, Vitek will be the clear No. 2 next season, that is, if he even stays at Man Utd instead of seeking another loan.
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However, Vitek has a hidden edge over Lammens in the race to be Man Utd’s No. 1, and it comes from the league he’s playing in.
Radek Vitek’s Championship advantage over Senne Lammens
A major thing that has surprised Man Utd fans about Lammens is how he has made the jump from the Belgian Pro League to the Premier League.
It’s why Amorim didn’t want Lammens either, preferring a tried-and-tested option like Aston Villa’s Ami Martinez until deadline day.
Lammens has made the jump remarkably well, and while that would make it seem like it makes things difficult for Vitek, it’s actually a point in his favour.
That’s because Vitek is operating at a higher level than Lammens was when he made the move to Old Trafford from Belgium.
As per Opta’s league rankings, the Championship is, overall, of a higher standard than the Belgian Pro League, coming in sixth, just ahead of the Belgian Pro League in seventh.
It goes without saying that more factors go into a player making the transition from a different league to the Premier League, but that just makes Vitek’s case stronger.
He’s already thriving in English football, something which Lammens wasn’t before he made the move, so that’s another point in the bag for the United loanee.
Vitek vs Lammens is closer than many think
A chance is what separates Vitek from Lammens at Man Utd. While Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana effectively forced Ruben Amorim to hand Lammens his chance, Vitek hasn’t been so lucky.
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When he played for United in pre-season, he was a star performer, and he’s proven those games weren’t a fluke by playing well on every loan spell of his career.
Lammens deserves to start ahead of Vitek as the incumbent who has done no wrong, but counting out the Man Utd loanee wouldn’t be wise.
United must give him the chance to fight the Belgian for the No. 1 spot next season, especially if they qualify for European competitions.
What they can’t do is put him on the bench as a solidified backup goalkeeper who never gets a chance, because his potential is too high to let it go to waste.
He’s already operating at a higher level than Lammens ever was before he made his move.
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