ONE of the biggest issues Manchester United had last season was almost every other Premier League side had a better striker, writes Samuel Luckhurst.
Now almost every other Premier League side has a better ‘keeper.
Apart from Southampton’s sinking ship, the other 18 top-flight teams possessed a more accomplished frontman than Rasmus Hojlund. Jamie Vardy was a fading force but still scored more than twice as many league goals as Hojlund, who eked only four.
Benjamin Sesko has not set the world alight and has actually had a worse start to his United career than Hojlund had after six appearances. Yet the bigger problem is up the other end.
Ruben Amorim even admitted last week that Altay Bayindir is not United’s outright number one. Bayindir, with his slick side-parting and Louis Vuitton holdall, looks confident when he arrives at a stadium. On the pitch, he is anything but and his parry late on against Chelsea quickened the heart rate of United fans as they held on for three points.
Senne Lammens, brought in from Royal Antwerp on deadline day for £18.2million, is already 23 but yet to play for Belgium and was not named among their four ‘keepers in the national team’s squad earlier this month. Antwerp were United’s original feeder club, only United never signed anyone from the Belgian side.
United noted that Lammens had one of the highest goals-prevented metrics in Europe last season, made more saves than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top ten leagues and completed the most progressive passes for any goalkeeper under the age of 23 last season.
Antwerp’s ground holds 16,144 and Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ ended with their semi-final appearance at the 2018 World Cup. Nothing can prepare Lammens for the scrutiny he will be under when he attempts to fill the goalframe in United colours.
Joining United hastened career decline for Andre Onana, forced to flee to Trabzonspor at the age of 29. David de Gea played for a big club in a big league before he took the plunge as a 20-year-old and had an unsettled first year. Fabien Barthez, a World Cup winner, absconded to France after three haphazard years.
We do not know if Lammens is good enough for United. We know Bayindir isn’t. He has shipped 28 goals in 16 appearances and United have won eight. Five of those were in the League Cup and the Europa League.
Bayindir’s new status as a United starter has failed to convince Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella. Bayindir is still the benchwarmer for the national side.
Manchester City have two No.1s and United have three number twos. The goalkeeper is the one position in a team where competition is not required. In all probability, United will go through this entire season without ever settling on an undisputed first choice who their supporters have faith in.
A former United ‘keeper playing for a promoted side would be more dependable and experienced than their two matchday ‘keepers. Martin Dubravka only played twice for United and his season-long loan from Newcastle was terminated at the halfway point but he was a shrewd addition by Burnley.
Karl Darlow was in net for Leeds in their weekend win at Wolves and was under consideration as a loanee by United before they turned to Dubravka in the summer of 2022. Robin Roefs did not cover himself in glory for Matty Cash’s pot-shot at Sunderland but he has been recognised at Under 21 level by Holland.
From the bottom of the ladder up, the case can be made that the incumbent for every team has a superior stopper to United: Jose Sa, Alphonse Areola, Emiliano Martinez, Caoimhin Kelleher, Dubravka, Matz Sels, Bart Verburggen, Nick Pope, Jordan Pickford, Donnarumma, Bernd Leno, Roefs, Robert Sanchez, Dean Henderson, Djordje Petrovic, Guglielmo Vicario, David Raya and Alisson.
Not all of them are good enough to be a long-term United No.1 and Sanchez gifted United victory on Saturday. There is scant evidence to suggest that Bayindir is a more stable presence than any of them.
For a club with such a storied academy, it is a travesty United never gave Henderson a fair crack of the whip. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is to blame for that after he reneged on a pre-season pledge to install Henderson as No.1 in 2021.
United ended up cutting their losses on Henderson by pocketing a meagre £15m up front from Crystal Palace. He was man of the match in their unforgettable FA Cup final triumph in May and pivotal in their second Wembley success against Liverpool in the Community Shield.
Henderson has told confidants he would never return to United. If they did come calling, with the promise of a salary hike and a bigger platform to challenge Pickford for the England spot, one suspects Henderson’s head would be turned.
Though Palace are still better than United at both ends.
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