Altay Bayindir was replaced in goal by Senne Lammens for Manchester United's 2-0 victory over Sunderland as Ruben Amorim handed his new signing a long-awaited debut
Senne Lammens and Altay Bayindir after Manchester United's defeat of Sunderland
Altay Bayindir was dropped for Senne Lammens(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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Altay Bayindir remained upbeat following Manchester United's comfortable 2-0 win at home Sunderland - despite being axed by Ruben Amorim. Bayindir, 27, had started all six of United's Premier League fixtures, three of which came after Senne Lammens' was signed from Royal Antwerp for an initial £18.2 million plus add-ons.
Amorim kept faith in his goalkeeper until another unconvincing performance in the Red Devils' limp 3-1 loss away to Brentford. When Sunderland made the visit to Old Trafford on Saturday, Lammens was named in the starting line-up.
The 23-year-old repaid his faith with a performance that was more assured than any of Bayindir's displays this season. Post-match, Lammens was showered with praise from fans and his manager, so it'd be understandable if Bayindir felt dejected.
Yet that seems far from the truth. On Instagram, the Turkey international responded to United's win by sharing the final score alongside a red heart emoji and flexed bicep emoji.
Bayindir was also spotted embracing Lammens on the pitch at full-time. Amorim insisted before kick-off that his decision to change goalkeepers was purely about squad rotation.
"Everybody has to be ready to play," the Red Devils boss said. "We need to win this game, every opponent is different, so we try to find the best characteristics to win every match."
Altay Bayindir's Instagram story
Altay Bayindir shared a celebratory Instagram post after Man United beat Sunderland(Image: Instagram/altaybayindir)
Senne Lammens
Senne Lammens impressed on his debut for Manchester United
Reflecting on Lammens' debut, Amorim told BBC Sport: "Senne did really well. We were a competitive and adult team today. We need to win these games with a clean sheet. Good for us."
Mason Mount, who netted United's first goal before Benjamin Sesko doubled their lead, also had words of praise for his new team-mate. "He was solid, when we were under pressure, the option was Ben [Sesko] and we worked off that," Mount explained.
"Buzzing for him, everyone was around him today, it can be tough making your first start we want to be together and I felt that today so we keep moving forward."
Lammens will now head home to Belgium after being named in his country's senior squad ahead of two World Cup qualifiers. The ex-Antwerp man will be hoping to feature against North Macedonia and Wales.
When he returns, United make the journey to Anfield to face a Liverpool side on a three-game losing streak. The Red Devils then host Brighton, as Amorim bids to guide his team up the table.
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