‘I’m not Schmeichel in disguise – I am just Senne Lammens’

Senne Lammens, a newcomer to Manchester United, claims he is not afraid of the strain that will be put on him as a result of playing one of the most closely watched roles in modern football.

In the modern, digital era, head coach Ruben Amorim only recently mentioned the “massive” pressure on any United goalkeeper.

With only one full season of senior football left on his hands, Lammens could be forgiven for feeling the heat more than most, especially since United’s hierarchy blocked Amorim’s request to sign Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa on transfer deadline day.

Lammens did not, however, convey to BBC Sport in his first external interview prior to United’s Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, giving the impression of someone with self-doubt.

The Belgian stated, “You hear from other people that there is a lot of pressure coming here and playing for this team.”

“But I welcome that,” he said. First of all, it’s nice to have a big team like yours. I’m not too worried about it because there should be a lot of pressure.

Andre Onana, who has since joined Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan, and Altay Bayindir, who started the season’s first six Premier League games, received a standing ovation the first time they caught the ball during his debut against Sunderland on October 4th, despite their lack of belief in the Old Trafford faithful.

A welcome return from United made for the season led to chants like “Are you Schmeichel in disguise?” in reference to Danish legend Peter Schmeichel, one of the club’s most well-known and admired goalkeepers.

Lammens was unaware of the song’s significance. Even though he acknowledges that he is still far away from receiving a link, he was delighted when he saw the news.

He said, “I don’t listen to it too much during the game, but I did hear it later.”

“I’m not Schmeichel disguised,” I say. Senne Lammens is all I’m trying to help the team.

In the Sunderland game, it was made clear that United were using longer balls more frequently, and even more so in the victory over Liverpool two weeks later.

Lammens claimed that his decision was made after the success of Anfield rather than his own.

However, it complies with his own philosophy.

He said, “Tapping is a topic of great discussion, but it is not about that.” It depends on the intensity and our playing style.

It’s also about being realistic and aware that Liverpool’s build-up match won’t be the prettiest game.

Being direct and playing for the second balls was more important. With the players we have, we can always make it difficult for the opponent if we are high up on the pitch.

“It also prevents us from finding it difficult.” Sometimes building from the back hurts you more than it helps.

I’ve been working with the guys in midfield and up front to ensure that I don’t take too many chances and trust them. Sometimes we need to “get the ball there as quickly as possible.”

Lammens believes that the connection between his defense and his success since receiving the shirt is essential, and Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt make a point of putting their expectations first.

They told me that I don’t need to be the most amazing or exceptional goalkeeper, but rather that I just need to be there when needed to give the team trust, he said.

They feel more at ease knowing that there is someone who can assist them.

“Helping the defense with communication is one of the key responsibilities of a goalkeeper.”

Lammens became a goalkeeper partly because his older brother, a lifelong United fan, needed someone to save his shots and partly because he was too hesitant to run.

His debut in the Premier League was not without fault. He had a chance to escape with a poor run out of his penalty area on his debut. He was questioned over Danny Welbeck’s free-kick goal for Brighton last weekend after he claimed a routine catch and nearly fumbled it.

However, given that Royal Antwerp fans were eager to spend the £18.1 million on deadline day at the start of their professional careers, and given that these were the positive aspects of his first three games, it makes me wonder why he was benched for the first three games.

The player believes it was the right decision after two of those matches, at Brentford and Manchester City, ended in defeat.

He said, “There was nothing about there being a strict plan,” noting that. The best goalkeeper will play was always the case.

“But I had a little difficulty with the training at first. The manager took note of that and gave me some time to adjust. I had the ideal opportunity to win the first game. From there, everything worked out smoothly. A better start is impossible to imagine.

Lammens is aware that there is still work to be done in order to reach the desired level of European qualification.

But he has wandered into his future plans while working at Old Trafford.