Out of the fridge and into the fire: Has Senne Lammens got what it takes to deal with the pressure at Manchester United?

After months of speculation, Senne Lammens finally completed his move to Manchester United this week. The 23-year-old had been expected to leave Antwerp this summer and got himself a move to one of the biggest clubs in the world. Yet, with just one full season as a number one under his belt, has the Belgian goalkeeper got what it takes to deal with the pressure at Manchester United?

Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left the Old Trafford dugout, Manchester United have not been able to replicate the success they experienced in the late 1990s and 2000s. As someone who grew up in this era, it has been quite enjoyable seeing the side struggle. Many of my friends growing up picked Manchester United because they won trophies, something they certainly don’t do as much of anymore. In recent years, the goalkeeping position has come under plenty of scrutiny. Lammens is going from a relatively low pressure situation in Antwerp to the burning furnace which is the number one spot at Manchester United . Many have tried, but so far none have been able to conquer the pressure that comes with being the Red Devils starting keeper.

Lammens is a good goalkeeper. I was impressed with him for most of the 2024/2025 Pro League season. Yet, when it came to picking a Pro League team of the season, Lammens indifferent end of the season saw myself and the team at the Belgian Football Podcast opt for Anderlecht’s Colin Cooseman’s instead. Lammens is a great shot stopper, and Manchester United fans have already made a number of compilation videos showing how good he is at saving penalties. After Andre Onana’s performance against Grimsby, this will be music to fans of the club. Had Lammens been in goal for that penalty shootout, the side would have certainly won.

Yet, the pressure and the chasm between the Pro League and the Premier League should not be understated. Lammens came into Antwerp when the side were going through a transition. The title winning side of 2022/2023 was being dismantled, with goalkeeper Jean Butez looking to move on. Lammens excelled in a side that lost key players throughout the campaign. However, the pressure was minimal as expectations were low. Lammens now goes into a league and team where every aspect of his pay will be scrutinised. His shot stopping should impress, but dealing with balls into the box has been a struggle for Onana and Lammens needs to command his box better than he has at times with Antwerp. Furthermore, he will need to improve his passing ability while at Old Trafford. At the Premier League level, most goalkeepers are expected to be excellent with their feet and Lammens will certainly work on this area.

In my opinion, the leap could be too big. Other goalkeepers have made intermediary moves, like Bart Verbruggen joining Brighton after a strong season with Anderlecht. The pressure is arguably higher at Anderlecht then at Antwerp, while at Brighton is it much lower than at Manchester United . None of this is Lammens fault, and one can hardly say he shouldn’t make the move. Nine times out of ten a player in Lammens position would make the transfer. Backing himself to be a success at Old Trafford does show mental fortitude at least, as he must be aware of the situation he is getting himself into. Yet one of the men he will replace in Onana has shown that the pressure is real. The Cameroonian international has played for big clubs like Ajax and Inter, but at Manchester United he has looked a far cry from the exciting goalkeeper he was in the Eredivisie. The pressure has seen him make some horrendous mistakes and his shot stopping ability seems to have melted away.

In his famous book The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien uses the phrase ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’ as a chapter title for when Bilbo and the Dwarves escape the Goblin tunnels, only to be then chased by a pack of wolves. Lammens is certainly going into the fire, but he has yet to be in the frying pan. If we say Lammens is Bilbo, the move he is making is more akin to if Gandalf just dragged him straight from his home in Hobbiton and dropped him into the situation where the wolves are hunting him down. He hasn’t gone through the trials and tribulations of the Trolls, Goblin caves and the riddles in the dark with Gollum. Bilbo also had an advantage at that point by having found Sauron’s ring of power. Those who know the story will remember that is it the Eagles that came to save the day. Perhaps Lammens can be one of the eagles who saves United’s season?

I find this unlikely. Not because Lammens is bad, but there are clearly wider problems at Manchester United beyond the goalkeeping position. However, my fear is that the performances of the other goalkeepers at the club will increase scrutiny on Lammens. For me, the Premier League side would have been better off going for Emi Martinez. Like the signing of Edwin van der Sar back in the day, the veteran goalkeeper is exactly the sort of personality that side needs. Not a goalkeeper like Lammens still developing. He may well prove me wrong, and I sincerely hope he does, but I am fearful of how he will handle the pressure after his first mistake at the club. Furthermore, given how poorly Manchester United have recruited in the past, I am not hopeful that they have the structures in place to help Lammens develop into a potential number one for Belgium in the future.

The international break at least gives Lammens time to find his feet in Manchester and settle into the new environment. For the Pro Legaue, the transfer fee is substantial for any player, let alone a goalkeeper. Many have made the move from the Pro League to the Premier League, but few have really succeeded. Very few have gone from the Pro League to one of the ‘big’ sides in England.

Lammens has bet on himself being able to come through the fire that is Manchester United unscathed. If he does, he could be on course to become one of the top goalkeepers in world football.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson