Man Utd have gone back to basics under Michael Carrick and it has worked wonders.
"I've got to be honest, there's not many special things he did. It's just sticking to the basics."
Senne Lammens didn't give much away when he was asked the secret behind Manchester United's recent transformation under Michael Carrick. It is an approach that has mirrored his own impact at Old Trafford since he joined last summer.
United have gone back to basics across their last two matches and rediscovered the very essence of what a United team should be. Yes, they respect their opponents, but they don't fear them. Instead of setting up solely to nullify the other team, Carrick has embraced their own attacking talents and injected both confidence and belief back into the squad.
Another key aspect has been the calmness and composure at the back. Lammens has played a crucial role in that all season and has been the backbone of so much they have done well. He has not come across as a spectacular shot-stopper or an elite sweeper keeper, but what he has done is provide consistency. It is one of the most underrated traits.
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Lammens the backbone of United transformation
Senne Lammens did not keep a clean sheet against Arsenal at the weekend, but that doesn't mean he didn't have a good game. There was little he could do about either goal, and without him, Manchester United could quite easily have lost the match against a physical side who pose such a threat from set-pieces.
The Belgian goalkeeper finished the match with three high claims of the ball, three punches clear, 10 recoveries, and one involvement as a sweeper keeper. It was the latest in a string of steady performances that have shone because they have been so understated and routine.
Lammens has embraced his reputation as a 'boring' goalkeeper, but instead, he should be known as a 'calming' one. He aims to impress through reliability rather than risk, and takes as much pleasure from keeping things simple at the back as he does from making huge saves. After years of intense criticism for United goalkeepers, it is so refreshing that they now have someone so reliable that he almost goes unnoticed in the net.
United have the joint fewest losses in the Premier League since Lammens arrived, and you can't help but think their season would have been more successful had they had him from the start. The goal they conceded on the opening day to Arsenal was similar to the second they conceded at the weekend, but they probably would have defended set-pieces better with the Belgian in goal. There were also shaky performances against Fulham, Grimsby and Brentford that all might have been strengthened by his presence between the sticks.
"We have players with the quality that can make a difference, but you just have to do the basics right; to make sure technically we're standing right, defending well together and just [playing] as a team," Lammens added after the Arsenal win. He personified that approach with a performance so calm it was almost casual in North London.
United are at their best when they keep things simple; nobody does that better than their goalkeeper.
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