As Ruben Amorim grapples with finding an answer to his goalkeeping dilemma at Manchester United, he could do worse than heed Sir Alex Ferguson's eight-word counsel to Sean Dyche. We now live in an era where most teams want their goalkeeper to distribute from the back and pick out forwards with precision passing, but Ferguson, 83, concentrated solely on what his No. 1 could do with his hands.
Altay Bayindir endured another difficult afternoon in United's 1-1 stalemate at Fulham, mirroring his struggles against Arsenal seven days earlier. Nevertheless, he showcased his distribution skills when launching Matheus Cunha clear with a tremendous long ball, though the Brazilian's attempt was expertly thwarted. Despite this being noteworthy, Ferguson, during a private discussion with Dyche, emphasised that the primary concern for goalkeepers should be preventing shots and dealing with crosses, rather than their footwork and distribution.
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Given that Bayindir and Andre Onana have failed to convince under Amorim, who is reportedly targeting a swoop for 23-year-old Royal Antwerp shot-stopper Senne Lammens, the United manager might be wise to follow Ferguson's guidance when making his next goalkeeping choice.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Dyche revealed details of a discussion he held with the legendary United chief regarding his former Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope, now at Newcastle. He said: "Different managers want different things. They were questioning Nick Pope. I couldn't believe it. They were questioning him about his playing [with his feet], saying, 'Oh yeah, but he can't do this and he can't do that.'
"Sir Alex Ferguson always invites you up to his room there. When we (Burnley) played United, Nick Pope was playing terrific. I think we drew the game and he was coming out, taking crosses, terrific, he was the monster player that he is, great player for me, great goalkeeper. Sir Alex, he said, 'Oh he's a big boy and he does this,' and I said, 'Yeah, they keep going on about his feet.'"
Dyche revealed Ferguson made a clear and concise eight-word statement on these comments, saying: "He stops the ball going in the net."
Dyche added: "He said, 'People said that about [Edwin] van der Sar. That (ability with his feet) was a bonus. Van der Sar could handle and he could stop the ball going in the net. The rest of it was a bonus.' That's old guard by the way, but call it how it is. I'm not going against modern coaching, trust me, I know all the terminology and that's fine.
"But sometimes the simplicity is, his job is to stop the ball going into the net. Brian Clough used to say to his centre halves, 'Head it, and kick it, and give it to someone who is better than you - and that's everyone.' The basics are still the basics, that was Sir Alex's point, and Nick Pope stops it going in the goal."
Erik ten Hag, Amorim's predecessor at Manchester United, did not heed this advice. The club spent a significant sum on Onana, known for his creativity and footwork, to replace David de Gea. However, his shot-stopping and handling have often been found wanting at Old Trafford.
With United reportedly nearing an agreement on personal terms with Lammens, it seems Bayindir and Onana are not part of Amorim's long-term plans. Given the shortcomings both goalkeepers have shown, the Portuguese manager would do well to ensure Lammens is more than capable of mastering the basics, much like Ferguson did with Van der Sar.