Senne Lammens: Man Utd United Behind Michael Carrick Despite Crisis

Senne Lammens insists Manchester United's dressing room is united behind Michael Carrick despite a seven-game winless run

Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens has told Sky Sports that the squad remains fully behind under-fire head coach Michael Carrick, describing the dressing room as "united" and defending the players' commitment after a disappointing week culminated in defeat at Como. United host Bournemouth on Sunday.

Fixture: Manchester United vs Bournemouth, Premier League, Sunday, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event from 12.30pm
Context: United are on their worst run since 2014-15 — seven games without a win in all competitions
Defensive record: Only one clean sheet this season, against Sabah on September 10 in the Champions League
Headline quote: Lammens says the squad is "all together behind the coach, as a staff, players, front office"
At stake: Carrick remains in charge for a "pivotal" Bournemouth game despite growing concerns

What was said

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on whether the dressing room is united

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on the squad's support for Michael Carrick

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on United's habit of conceding early

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on the priority for improvement

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on criticism of the players' effort

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on the belief of a turnaround

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on the external pressure

"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."
— Senne Lammens, comparing this season with last

"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. 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."
— Senne Lammens, on rediscovering last season's fight

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on balancing possession with aggression

"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."
— Senne Lammens, on the balance Carrick's side must strike

Lammens's words are a direct response to a turbulent week in which captain Bruno Fernandes delivered a post-match interview questioning the coach and staff's tactics — the second consecutive week a senior player had done so, following Lisandro Martinez's interview which called the club's hierarchy and ambition into question. The goalkeeper's defence of Carrick is an attempt to calm the narrative and reaffirm collective responsibility.

His reflections on the shift in playing style are telling. Lammens acknowledges United have tried to evolve with the ball but concedes that the change may have diluted the aggression and fight that defined last season's wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. That tension between control and combat is at the heart of United's current malaise.

The numbers

7 — games without a win in all competitions, United's worst run since 2014-15
1 — clean sheet this season, against Sabah on September 10 in the Champions League
60 — seconds it took for United to concede against Atletico Madrid the previous week
5 — minutes of Michael Carrick's monologue in Friday's pre-match news conference
5 months — Carrick's initial tenure last season when United beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City

Where has United's fight gone — and can Carrick get it back?

The tactical shift Lammens describes is at the core of United's problems. Last season, Carrick's side were a counter-attacking unit that absorbed pressure and struck with aggression. Wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City in his first five months were built on intensity, running and defensive discipline. This season, in an attempt to evolve, United have tried to dominate possession and play through the press. The result, according to Lammens, is a team that has lost the "fight" without the ball — hence the early concessions against Como, Atletico Madrid, Fulham and Spurs.

Carrick's emotional five-minute monologue on Friday, in which he stressed humility and humbleness, was clearly aimed at the dressing room. Senior players like Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez have publicly questioned tactics and ambition, forcing the coach to defend his staff. Lammens's intervention is significant: as the No 1 goalkeeper, he is emerging as a leader who can bridge the gap between players and management. But words must be backed by actions.

Against Bournemouth, United must start fast. Their habit of conceding inside the first few minutes has wrecked game plans and left them chasing matches. Lammens stresses the need to score first and keep themselves in the game. Carrick will need to find a way to restore the aggression that made United so dangerous last season while retaining the improved ball control. The balance is delicate, as Lammens admits: "It is a fine line."

Talking points

Is Lammens right that the dressing room is united, or are Fernandes and Martinez's interviews a sign of deeper cracks?
Carrick's attempt to evolve United's style has backfired — should he revert to last season's counter-attacking blueprint?
Conceding early has become a fatal pattern; is it a tactical flaw or a mentality issue?
Lammens is emerging as a leader, but can a goalkeeper truly set the tone for a struggling dressing room?

What happens next

Manchester United host Bournemouth on Sunday at 2pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event from 12.30pm. Carrick remains in charge for what has been described as a "pivotal" game despite growing concerns. A win would ease the pressure and provide a platform to rebuild; a defeat would intensify scrutiny on the coach and the squad's unity. Lammens and his team-mates have the chance to prove their words are more than just talk.