Club legend warns goalkeeper must be ready to prove his mettle when criticism comes
Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has praised Senne Lammens for his calm display on debut, while warning that the young goalkeeper’s real test will come later in the season.
The 23-year-old Belgian kept a clean sheet as United beat Sunderland 2-0 on Sunday, having stepped in for Altay Bayindir, whose recent errors and lack of confidence or strength in goal had drawn heavy criticism.
“You think about the goalkeepers that we’ve had over these last couple of years and how many goals we’ve conceded from errors – nine already this season – it’s too much,” said Schmeichel.
“My instruction when I played was to save the team 10 points a season, not give them away. It’s nice to see a clean sheet and a solid performance because that’s something we’ve not seen for a while.”
Schmeichel, who won five Premier League titles with United, said Lammens has shown he can be a successful goalkeeper at the club.
“He didn’t have much to do for a long time, but he did well when called upon,” said Schmeichel. “You could see his confidence grow after that first save and the defenders reacted well.
“It’s far too early to judge him though. He’s young, hardly played any competitive football, and the pressure at Manchester United can be relentless.”
However, he added a note of caution: “The performance was clean and positive, things we haven’t been used to, but we’ll really see what kind of goalkeeper he is when he makes mistakes and has to respond to them. That’s when we’ll know how good he can be.”
