Is Senne Lammens Any Good? Or is He Just ‘Not Onana’?

Is Senne Lammens Any Good? Or is He Just ‘Not Onana’?

Manchester United travelled to the Hill Dickinson Stadium in good spirits after dismantling Ipswich Town 5-2 a week prior. However just like the first two games of the season, Senne Lammens and the Manchester United defence conceded yet another two goals in one match, bringing the total of goals conceded to six in three games.

However, the two goals that the Toffees scored on Sunday afternoon were nothing short of extraordinary. Tyrique George’s sumptuous strike flew into the top right corner at Lammens’s near post before Ainsley Maitland-Niles finessed a 20-yard curler straight into the top left corner. Two goals that are unsaveable.

United fans won’t be surprised that their side have struggled defensively, as there have been cracks in that defence for quite some time now. However, Manchester United’s board have tried to paper over the cracks in an attempt to ignore the situation and hope it magically sorts itself out. But how much is Lammens to blame for these ongoing issues? After all, he was named the Premier League Transfer of the Season only a few months ago.

🔵 Everton 2-2 Manchester United 🔴

What a match! Goals: Mbeumo 46', Tyrique George 83', Sesko 88', Maitland-Niles 90+6. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/r5udWpn8eR

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) September 6, 2026

Is Lammens at Fault?

On 1 September 2025, Senne Lammens completed the deadline day move to Manchester United from Royal Antwerp for £18.2m plus add-ons. In his debut campaign with The Red Devils, the Belgium international kept eight clean sheets in 32 league appearances, as well as only conceding 39 goals.

With an average of 1.2 goals conceded per game in the Premier League last season, it’s fair to say that Lammens was an improvement to that of André Onana’s debut season in red.

The Cameroon international conceded 58 goals in 38 Premier League matches in his first season at the club in the 2023/24 campaign. This equivalates to 1.5 conceded per game, which comes down to 1.2 goals conceded per game in the 2024/25 season.

With the number of goals per game being let in not varying too much between the pair, it’s easy to suggest from the outside looking in that not much has changed. And to a certain degree that is correct, as the back four in front of Onana and Lammens hasn’t differed too much.

Despite this, the eye test offers a different picture in terms of the quality between the two goalkeepers. Lammens looks far more comfortable and assertive in between the sticks, whereas Onana lacked confidence and looked shaky whenever he was in goal.

However, when looking at the number of saves made each goalkeeper made in each Premier League season, it’s Onana who comes out on top. The Cameroon international made 149 saves in the 2023/24 season, with 90 saves made in the following campaign.

Lammens only stopped 79 shots from entering his goal, which is 70 less than Onana’s total from the 2023/24 season. Therefore, it’s clear to see that United’s defence and midfield allowed opposition players to get shots away far more often under Onana compared to Lammens.

Onana’s individual mistakes and errors stole the spotlight, deflecting the attention away from the rest of the defence. This resulted pressure to consistently build onto the then Manchester United first choice goalkeeper, which ultimately led to the downfall of his career with The Red Devils.

Onana is spending his second consecutive season on loan at Turkish club Trabzonspor as a result of being displaced as United’s number one goalkeeper. The 30-year-old keeper is technically still on Manchester United’s books, but it seems very unlikely that he is going to reclaim is starting spot at Old Trafford.

𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭 🕷️ pic.twitter.com/2l5EHJi5er

— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) September 6, 2026

So, to answer the question posed at the start of this article as to whether Senne Lammens is any good, my answer would be an emphatic yes. It’s clear to see the difference in quality between the two keepers, with Lammens installing a sense of belonging in a Manchester United shirt coupled with the capabilities to succeed as an elite goalkeeper.

The 24-year-old shot stopper has a bright future ahead of him in a United shirt, and his life will be made a lot easier if some defensive reinforcements are brought in to take the weight off his back.