Michael Carrick warned Man Utd starter is ‘not at the level’ and will cost Red Devils success – ex-Fergie ally | OneFootball

Manchester United may have turned a corner since Michael Carrick’s appointment, but the interim Red Devils boss has been warned that one of Ruben Amorim’s signings could cost his team in big moments.

Carrick has led United to four wins and one draw since replacing Amorim, with the club rising to fourth place in the Premier League table.

Carrick will hope to earn the right for a long-term stint in the Old Trafford dugout, but a former assistant of legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Rene Meulensteen, has highlighted a potential problem.

He believes that goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who joined United from Royal Antwerp in a deal worth around £18million last summer, is not yet good enough to help the club fight for trophies.

The 23-year-old has made 20 Premier League appearances this season, and is Carrick’s undisputed No. 1 between the sticks.

“While Senne Lammens has done well, he’s not yet at the level Manchester United needs in terms of personality, leadership, and certain aspects of his goalkeeping,’ Meulensteen said in an interview, as cited by Metro.

“I still think there are some weaknesses there. Furthermore, you’re not in Europe at the moment, which presents another challenge altogether when you have to play in the Champions League against big teams.

“For me, every good, successful team that has won trophies had an outstanding goalkeeper, an absolutely outstanding goalkeeper.

“You saw, for instance, the save that Gianluigi Donnarumma made on that deflected shot against Liverpool.

“Otherwise, Liverpool would have gone ahead again. That’s the kind of save goalkeepers need to make. And I’m not entirely sure whether Lammens is there just yet.”

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Lammens is a huge upgrade on Onana

Lammens may be lacking the experience of other Premier League goalkeepers, but there is no doubt that he is a far better option for United than his predecessor, Andre Onana.

Onana was United’s first-choice keeper for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons and made some horrendous errors that cost his team in big moments. He never lived up to his £44million price tag when joining from Inter Milan.

Lammens, for his part, has played a big role in United’s recent success, and seems to believe that the club are on the right path under the interim boss.

“To be honest, there’s not many special things he [Carrick] did. It’s just like sticking to the basics,” Lammens said in an interview last month.

“Football is basics. If you do the basics well, then the quality of us comes out, and I think we have players with the quality that can make the difference.”

United are gearing up for a busy summer transfer window, but there is no indication that they will be prioritising the signing of a new shot stopper.

As we have consistently reported, the addition of at least one new midfielder is what United are working hardest on.

Carrick trusts Lammens, and he looks set to keep his spot between the posts for the foreseeable future.

Latest Man Utd news: Fernandes sacrifice / ‘Explosive’ striker eyed

Meanwhile, reports suggest that United could ‘cash in’ on club captain Bruno Fernandes this summer to fund their dream midfielder signing.

Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson is understood to be at the top of their shortlist and Fernandes could be sacrificed to help lure him to Old Trafford.

In other news, United hold serious interest in Levante striker Karl Etta Eyong, who looks destined to leave the LaLiga club in the summer.

Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also interested in the talented 22-year-old.