Senne Lammens is not good enough for Manchester United, says Ferguson lieutenant | OneFootball

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Sir Alex Ferguson’s former right-hand man Rene Meulensteen has urged Manchester United to recruit another goalkeeper, claiming Senne Lammens is not of the calibre required to help the club challenge for the Premier League title.

The former United first-team coach believes Spain international Unai Simon is the level of goalkeeper the Red Devils need, while also calling on Michael Carrick to establish a settled centre-back partnership.

Senne Lammens under scrutiny after Everton draw

Lammens faced criticism following United’s 2-2 draw with Everton on Sunday. The Daily Star reported that several former players felt he should have prevented the visitors’ opening goal after being beaten at his near post.

The Belgian was also unable to get across to Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ late equaliser, which denied United victory and intensified the discussion surrounding their number one.

That followed a difficult World Cup moment for Lammens. His mistake against Spain contributed to Belgium’s quarter-final elimination, with Meulensteen pointing to that error when assessing the 24-year-old.

The wider debate over United’s goalkeeping position has centred on whether Lammens should remain first choice over the long term. Meulensteen believes the club can improve the side by recruiting a proven top-level alternative.

Meulensteen identifies Unai Simon as the answer

Meulensteen said: “There’s been a bit of a debate for a while about whether Lammens should be the number one going forward, and I personally would be looking for another goalkeeper.”

He compared the Belgian’s World Cup mistake with occasional errors made by David de Gea, while stressing that the former United goalkeeper ultimately delivered consistently across his time at Old Trafford.

Meulensteen added: “He isn’t the same calibre of goalkeeper that United have had in the past like Schmeichel, Van der Sar or De Gea, and any team that really wants to challenge for the title needs a top class goalkeeper.”

Emiliano Martinez would have been Meulensteen’s preferred choice, but the Argentina international has already moved from Aston Villa to Chelsea. The Dutch coach therefore named Simon as the player United should consider.

Pointing to Simon’s position ahead of Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya in the Spain pecking order, Meulensteen said: “He’s the type of goalkeeper that Manchester United need.”

However, he does not believe all of United’s defensive problems can be placed at Lammens’ door. Meulensteen also highlighted the lack of consistency in Carrick’s back line and the need to identify a reliable central-defensive pairing.

“Finding a centre-back partnership that works and getting some consistency in the back line will be key,” he said.

Lammens’ first year at Old Trafford

Lammens joined United from Royal Antwerp in 2025 for an initial £18.1 million. Despite his criticism, Meulensteen acknowledged that the goalkeeper has generally performed well since arriving in England.

His concern is instead whether Lammens can reach the standard set by Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar and De Gea — three goalkeepers who enjoyed lengthy spells as United’s established number one.

Meulensteen’s views carry added interest because of his previous role on Sir Alex Ferguson’s coaching staff. TPP also covered his recent assessment of Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee, while his latest coaching appointment was announced in August.

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