Manchester United summer signing Senne Lammens made his debut in the 2-0 win over Sunderland last Saturday.
Lammens was exceptional in goal, especially considering the nerves of a debut in front of a packed Old Trafford crowd.
Former Man United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel praised the 23-year-old and hoped that he had the mental toughness to shine at the club.
He said (via BBC Sport): “He’s only young, he’s hardly played any competitive football. Unfortunately we’ve seen over the years, great players come into Man Utd and the pressure is relentless – then they can’t deal with that.
“It was nice to see a clean sheet and really good and solid goalkeeping performance [from Senne Lammens].
“He did well, he’s got an international break now then the next game he’s got to do the same. Then we see how he develops, all goalkeepers make mistakes, that’s when we find out how good people are.”
Lammens could be the answer to United’s problems
The Red Devils have endured two turbulent years at the back.
Their last line of defence has made numerous errors that have led them to concede poor goals.
Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir have failed to impress with their shot-stopping skills.
Both of them were repeatedly targeted by the opposition during corner set-pieces.
Onana was sent on loan to Turkey this summer but manager Ruben Amorim still backed Bayindir for the number one spot.
The 27-year-old made a positive impression with his ball distribution but looked vulnerable at the back.
The fact that Lammens received a resounding ovation every time he made a high claim suggests how poor the level of goalkeeping has been since the departure of David de Gea.
The Belgian also made three saves, including denying a late one-on-one opportunity by rushing towards the attacker.
One could argue that Onana would have conceded that goal, as he was always rooted to his line.
Lammens also looked more authoritative during set-pieces, a trait that is a must in any goalkeeper who wants to have a good career.
Shining at Old Trafford requires mental resilience as pointed out by Schmeichel.
The clash with Liverpool after the international break will be a huge test of Lammens’ character.
