Not so long ago, Ruben Amorim was looking at replacing his error-strewn hapless goal keeper at Old Trafford. The Portuguese coach had seen enough of the the ‘calamitous’ Andre Onana to want him out of the door and according to national newspapers, was looking at [West Ham’s](https://www.claretandhugh.info/after-hermansen-west-ham-ready-to-fix-the-midfield-next-week-heres-how/) target to strengthen his shot-stopper options.
According to _[thesun.co.uk](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/36123710/transfer-news-hermansen-man-utd-west-ham-personal-terms/),_ Manchester United’s manager was a big admirer of Mads Hermansen and according to their article back in the transfer window: “_United, along with Aston Villa, Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Wolves, have been impressed by the Dane’s displays since he dethroned Danny Ward as the Foxes’ first-choice stopper two seasons ago.”_
So what has gone wrong? Did all of those clubs – plus Potter’s West Ham – make a monumental miscalculation about Hermansen’s ability?
Could it be that – _as several reports suggest this morning,_ _Hermansen is simply too small at 6’1”_ -( 1 metre 87) – to be a Premier League goal keeper.
That can be debunked straight away. Everton and England’s keeper Jordan Pickford- who has taken the national side to World Cup and Euro finals – is shorter at six feet- a couple of centimetres -than the Dane.
Twenty two years ago Hammers play-off keeper **Jimmy Walker** made a successful career as a keeper at just 5’10 – (1.8o meters) and indeed, his own autobiography _‘size isn’t everything_‘ made it plain that there’s more to being a success between the posts than just being huge. Clearly, Hermansen and Pickford are amongst the smaller of the Premier League’s ‘keepers but it is a red herring to suggest that Hermansen is simply not big enough.
Almost certainly it is more to do with the mind rather than the physique.
Hermansen’s confidence is ‘zero’ just now and he needs a few months out of the firing line to rebuild his mindset. Having to play behind a defence that cannot mark or head the ball is enough to give anybody nightmares and without attention to the back line, of course Alphonse Areola fared no better in the 2-3 Carabao Cup loss.
But to blame it on Hermansen’s height is spurious. Lack of confidence, hesitancy, nerves, decision making, fear, apprehension behind a woeful defence… Yes. But in time, that can be fixed.