In a dramatic revelation following his appointment as Manchester United’s interim manager, Michael Carrick has reportedly made it clear that one recent signing will no longer be a guaranteed starter, insisting he had previously warned former boss Ruben Amorim about the player’s limitations.
According to Carrick, that advice was ignored, and the consequences ultimately contributed to Amorim’s dismissal. Now in charge, Carrick is prepared to take decisive action by relegating the player to the bench.
The player in question is goalkeeper Senne Lammens, whose signing last summer raised eyebrows among sections of the club’s former staff.
Manchester United chose to move on from André Onana and secured Lammens from Belgian side Royal Antwerp in a deal initially worth £18 million near the end of the transfer window.
While the move was presented as one for the future, concerns have grown over whether the young goalkeeper is ready to shoulder the responsibility of being United’s first-choice option.
Former United assistant manager René Meulensteen has been particularly vocal in his assessment, openly questioning Lammens’ readiness to play such a critical role at Old Trafford.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Meulensteen acknowledged the goalkeeper’s potential but insisted that he is not currently at the level required to start for a club of United’s stature.
Meulensteen argued that Manchester United’s problems extend beyond one individual, suggesting that several players in the squad are not performing to the standards expected at an elite club.
He pointed to the team’s defensive fragility, noting that United concede too many goals and lack solidity at the back.
According to him, opposition teams are well aware of these weaknesses and exploit them whenever they have the quality and confidence to do so.
Comparing United to other top Premier League sides, Meulensteen highlighted the importance of having a commanding goalkeeper.
He referenced Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City as examples of teams with reliable goalkeepers who provide stability and win crucial points.
Even clubs like Aston Villa, with Emiliano Martínez, benefit from goalkeepers capable of deciding matches. In contrast, Meulensteen believes United’s goalkeeping situation falls short of that standard.
While he reiterated that Lammens could develop into a strong goalkeeper in the future, Meulensteen stressed that, at this moment, he is not ready to be Manchester United’s number one.
This assessment aligns with the belief that Carrick will now look to reassess the pecking order in goal as part of a wider reset.
Beyond the goalkeeper debate, Meulensteen also emphasized the scale of the defensive task facing Carrick.
He expressed confidence in Carrick’s football intelligence, praising his understanding of the game and his previous managerial work at Middlesbrough.
However, he warned that Carrick must be extremely clear with players and focus heavily on coaching defensive structure on the training pitch.
With United transitioning away from Amorim’s system toward a more traditional 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 shape, Meulensteen believes organization and positional discipline will be vital.
He pointed out that recent matches exposed large gaps across the pitch, gaps that upcoming opponents like Manchester City and Arsenal will ruthlessly exploit if left unaddressed.
Ultimately, while attacking talent is not an issue for United, Meulensteen believes Carrick’s immediate priority must be tightening the defence, resolving the goalkeeper question, and finding the best combinations at the back.
If Carrick gets those fundamentals right, there is confidence that United can quickly stabilize and move forward under his interim leadership.
