"Great Managers Shine: Senne Lammens Lauds Ruben Amorim's Clever Tactics Against Man Utd"

SENNE LAMMENS has commended Ruben Amorim for protecting the Manchester United players from the pressures they have faced this season.

On Sunday, United achieved their first victory in nearly ten years, along with their first consecutive Premier League wins in a single season since May 2024.

Manchester United star Senne Lammens has praised manager Ruben AmorimCredit: Getty Images Lammens commended Amorim for shielding Man Utd players from this season’s pressuresCredit: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

The team faced a challenging start to the season, suffering three league defeats and being unexpectedly eliminated from the League Cup by fourth-tier Grimsby Town.

Since January 2016, the team has regained confidence, and Lammens, whose promotion to the starting XI has coincided with consecutive victories, appreciates how Amorim has handled the club's crises.

“For me, he’s always the same,” Lammens said of Amorim. “I haven’t been here as long, so perhaps it’s different for others.

“But for me, as a coach, he carries a lot of pressure. You can feel it from the outside; you can read it and hear it.

“However, I believe he does his best. He manages to keep the pressure on himself and not on the team.

“He absorbs a lot of the pressure from us, and that’s characteristic of great managers.

“I do my best [to ignore the external noise]. I think I handle it quite well, trying to block out distractions from the outside.”

The manager, Arne Slot, again lamented United’s use of “long balls,” having previously criticized this tactic after the teams drew 2-2 at Anfield in January.

Amorim suggested he would choose a direct approach at his pre-match press conference but surprised everyone by benching in-form Benjamin Sesko in favor of Matheus Cunha, who had started just once in seven weeks.

The change proved effective as United scored through Bryan Mbeumo within two minutes and had opportunities to extend their lead before halftime.

“We know how they press; they’re going to play man-to-man,” Lammens explained. “So, realistically, coming into Anfield, it’s quite challenging to build up play.

“From the start, with the defenders, I decided that we should rely more on long balls and play off the second ball, even though we didn’t have a target striker.

“But I think even without one, we handled the second balls quite well, which allowed us to push them back.

“And the way we scored the first goal was due to a long ball, a second ball, and then a counterattack.

“The coach [and his staff] provide as much information as they can, but you also need to be realistic, especially at the start of the game.

“If it works like this, then you should stick with this tactic, and I believe it worked today.

“With the game plan we had, I think we executed it effectively. We understood it would be tough, and we needed to defend as a unit of 11.”

Lammens’ Victory Celebration

Lammens intended to celebrate United’s victory by spending the evening with one of his best friends who had traveled from Belgium.

The 23-year-old shared that his social media accounts had “exploded” since his £18.2 million transfer from Royal Antwerp last month, and he has settled into his apartment in Manchester.

Belgium international Lammens is now keen for United to maintain their momentum in their upcoming match on Saturday at home against Brighton, who have won on their last three visits to Old Trafford.

“Two [wins] in a row is something we’ve been anticipating to build momentum,” he added.

“I think that has been a significant aspect of what the coach has emphasized this season: the importance of building momentum.

“There have been several disappointments this season, with some games where we aimed to gain momentum but couldn’t.

“Today could mark the beginning of a positive momentum, and we must continue this at home next week as well.

“With the support of the fans, we should aim to win that game too.”