Manchester United have endured another turbulent week, with events both on and off the pitch adding to mounting pressure on manager Michael Carrick. According to Sky Sports, goalkeeper Senne Lammels has moved to defend the unity within the squad despite a damaging defeat in Italy.
The week has been marked by a sequence of concerning developments. Beyond the disappointing result in Como, senior players have given post-match interviews that have intensified scrutiny of the club's direction. Captain Bruno Fernandes questioned the coaching staff's tactical approach following the loss, while Lisandro Martinez had previously raised concerns about the club's ambition. These interventions prompted Carrick to deliver an emotional five-minute address at his pre-match press conference on Friday, in which he emphasised the need for humility and humbleness within the squad.
When asked directly whether the changing room remains united, Lammels offered a forthright response.
For me personally, I think it is. I think it's easy to see maybe after a game when players are very frustrated, and I get it, I'm very frustrated as well because we all really want to do better and we all want to win and then we might say sometimes things we don't really mean or fully explain what we mean.
The goalkeeper acknowledged that external perception differs from internal reality.
Of course, the people at home can't see that, so we need to also try to look like that when we are on the pitch in the weekend, but I can assure you that we're doing everything we can and we're all together behind the coach, as a staff, players, front office.
Lammels stressed that while improvement is necessary across the board, the squad remains committed to the process.
Everyone knows, of course, they have to do better, but I think we are united and we are trying to get better as a team and together.
Early concessions proving costly
One of the most damaging patterns to emerge this season has been United's inability to start matches well. According to Sky Sports, Nico Paz scored twice and assisted another goal in Como's 4–1 victory, with Joshua Zirkzee netting United's late consolation. The concession came within the opening moments, a recurring theme that has undermined Carrick's tactical setup.
The problem extends beyond the Italian fixture. United conceded after 60 seconds against Atletico Madrid the previous week and started poorly against both Fulham and Tottenham either side of the international break. More alarming is the defensive record overall: United have managed just one clean sheet this season, which came against Sabah on September 10 in the Champions League.
Lammels acknowledged the severity of the issue.
It's difficult. We have to learn from that as well fast, because you can try to come up with plans and tactics, but if you get a goal against in the first or second minute, it kind of screws up a little bit your game plan and you're kind of chasing the game from then on.
That's probably one of the biggest things we need to work on right now is to keep ourselves in the game and to try and get that first goal ourselves, instead of being 1-0 down straight away.
The goalkeeper pushed back against the notion that the solution is straightforward.
I get people thinking it's an easy fix, or like, why don't you just try harder or something like that? Trust me, we are trying harder every day and trying to come up with a solution, but sometimes when it's not going your way, everything falls into place for the other team.
Lammels expressed optimism that a single strong performance could shift the narrative.
You only need one performance to turn it around, and I think that's what we're trying to aim for and what we're working really hard on right now.
He also acknowledged the relentless media scrutiny.
As you mentioned, it's very easy to have narratives or stories and headlines and something that's been targeted at the team as well.
The tactical puzzle
The narratives surrounding Carrick's side have multiplied throughout the campaign, and the Como defeat made it difficult to dismiss them. United have now gone seven matches without a win in all competitions, their worst run since the 2014-15 season. This represents a dramatic reversal from the form that earned them Champions League qualification under Carrick's initial five-month tenure.
During that earlier period, the team displayed aggression, intensity and relentless running that produced victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. Yet this season, despite attempts to evolve their playing style, United have appeared tactically second-best in the majority of their matches. Carrick has not shied away from acknowledging the shortcomings, admitting after Como that his side lacked in aggression, intensity and running.
When asked what has changed tactically, Lammels offered insight into the squad's thinking.
Last season I felt like, playing-wise, maybe we played sometimes better this season, but last season everything just clicked and went the right way for us.
We struggled as a team together when they pressed us, but we didn't concede that many goals, and then I think as a counter team a bit more last season we did really well, but you also know, I think everybody knew that we had to improve as well from that, that teams were going to change the way they played against us.
The goalkeeper explained the rationale behind the tactical shift.
So that's why we had to evolve this season and in preseason, we tried to do some different things to get us in the best position to win games.
However, Lammels suggested that the pendulum may have swung too far.
I think we need a little bit more like last season, the way we fought together, even when it wasn't going the best and just trying to fight as a team and defend as a team, I think that's probably something we need to try to get back to.
Finding the balance
The question of where the team's fighting spirit has gone remains pressing for supporters at Old Trafford, who have rarely witnessed the intensity displayed last season. When pressed on this, Lammels offered a nuanced explanation.
I get it, I see people talking about numbers and maybe stats and data, I'm not sure about that, because every game is a little bit different.
I think, like I said, with the ball we try to do a bit of different things, try to improve, because last season we weren't always the best with the ball. I think we have improved in those sort of things, but maybe the mindset of having the ball and trying to play around has that mindset of when you don't have the ball and try to fight for it the way we did last season.
The goalkeeper identified the core challenge facing Carrick's side.
We need to get a bit of both. It is a fine line, to be honest, that aggressiveness. When you don't have the ball and when you have the ball, you want that calmness, that being able to play from the back and being able to play through the press. I think it's just finding that fine line in ourselves.
Lammels' willingness to articulate the changing room's perspective is notable given the precarious position United find themselves in. Few players feel comfortable offering such candid assessments during periods of crisis, yet the goalkeeper demonstrated both maturity and leadership in doing so. His comments suggest that despite the external turbulence, there remains a coherent understanding within the squad of what needs to change.
What happens next
Manchester United will attempt to halt their winless run when they host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, October 25, with kick-off at 2pm. The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event from 12.30pm. This fixture represents a crucial opportunity for Carrick's side to demonstrate the unity and fighting spirit that Lammels has insisted remains intact, and to begin the process of rebuilding confidence after a damaging period that has seen them produce their worst start to a Premier League season in history.
