The departure of André Onana has ignited a fierce, yet amicable, competition between goalkeepers Altay Bayindir and Senne Lammens for the Manchester United starting spot, a rivalry Bayindir insists will ultimately benefit the team.
Following Onana’s season-long loan move to Trabzonspor, manager Rúben Amorim confirmed that the two remaining keepers would battle it out for the coveted No. 1 jersey. That position is currently held by Lammens, who was the deadline day signing from Royal Antwerp.
Lammens recently leapfrogged Bayindir after an assured performance on his United debut, a 2-0 victory over Sunderland before the international break. That clean sheet has secured Lammens’ place in goal for United’s highly anticipated trip to face arch-rivals and reigning Premier League champions Liverpool next Sunday.
Rivalry is Collaborative, Says Bayindir
Despite the intense competition, Bayindir was quick to congratulate Lammens on his debut and emphasized that their professional rivalry is underpinned by a strong relationship off the pitch.
“That is the way, everyone has to be together, always,” said Bayindir as reported by the Manchester Evening News. “We have a good group, a good goalkeeper group, and we are always pushing each of ourselves on the pitch. Of course, we are fighting for the shirt, but in the outside, we have a good relationship, like how we did with Andre. He’s at Trabzonspor and he’s doing well.”
Team Must Give More to Turn Season Around
United has endured a difficult start to Amorim’s first full season, languishing in 10th place after losing three of their opening seven league games. Bayindir stressed that the team’s recovery hinges on collective effort and rigorous self-analysis.
“I can say football is a team thing,” the Turkish international insisted. “Everyone needs to work good, you know? Everyone needs to be focused… After the game, we are doing the analysis. We’re seeing everything… which parts we have to improve—everything. When you can catch the routine, you can be better every game, because it’s about experience.”
Bayindir, a former captain of Fenerbahce, was firm about the necessary mentality for success at a club of United’s stature.
“Sometimes I’m quiet but I have this streak, I have this soul. I’m not quiet and calm. I’m always thinking what we have to do. It’s never ‘I don’t care’, never if we lose ‘it’s not my fault’ – you can’t be successful if you have this idea.”
Longing for More Fixtures
The club’s failure to qualify for European competition this season, coupled with a humiliating EFL Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby, means United is currently restricted to just one game a week. Bayindir lamented the lack of fixtures, asserting that a club of United’s size must be competing on multiple fronts.
“We want to play more games in the week. We can play three games. We want to play more games,” he said. “If you’re playing for this great club, you have to do more and give everything yourself. I hope we can win more games and everything can be more positive for us. I hope we can make everyone happy.”
