“It is hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment.”
One of Ruben Amorim’s final public statements before the international break summed up an issue that will come into sharp focus at United’s Carrington training ground this week in the build-up to the Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Since Amorim spoke after the 3-2 win against Burnley, United have paid £18m to sign 23-year-old highly rated but inexperienced Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp in preference to Aston Villa’s World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez. They have also been working towards an agreement with Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor that will allow Andre Onana, who cost United £47m when they signed him from Inter Milan two years ago, to leave on loan.
It means Amorim must stick with Turkey’s number two goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who has started all three Premier League games this season but made a major error against Burnley and another on the opening weekend that cost a goal against Arsenal, and looked shaky at Fulham, against City or hand Lammens his debut in a pretty unforgiving environment.
This will be done against the knowledge that any error will be seized upon and judgement will be instant and unforgiving.
