Manchester United’s failure to beat bottom-of-the-table Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday means the club have made their worst league start since 1986. United have only six points from their first six games and face a daunting run of fixtures, starting with Tuesday’s Champions League tie at Atletico Madrid.
Goalkeeper Senne Lammens spoke to media, including The National, after Saturday’s 1-1 draw, which saw United lead through Bryan Mbeumo's 73rd minute strike only to see Dominic Solanke equalise in stoppage time.
Q: Can you put your finger on what went wrong? Going ahead was encouraging, but to concede at the end was disappointing.
A: It's very disappointing because you find a way to get the game, to get the advantage, to score a goal, to get 1-0 up against 10 men. That's the position you want to be in. So, it's very disappointing to concede the last goal at the end. We need to learn a lot from it, because these are the games you have to try to pull towards yourself. Winning these games is very important if you want to have a good season, so it's very important for us to learn from this and move on, to get these games behind us.
What have you made of the team's start this season, with six points from six games? Obviously, it's not the start you would have wanted, especially after the success of last season.
I think points say one thing, which is very important, because we are a team who wants to play at the top of the league. But it's not the only thing. In terms of our play, we do some things well, but I think defensively, we can be a bit better, a bit more solid. Today was better because, in the first half, it was a bit more difficult, but you survive, you keep it at zero, and then you are able to pull those games towards yourself.
So, yeah, it's like you said. It's a bit like that feeling last season, where maybe we didn't have our A-game, but we were still able to pull those games out and win them. This time, the feeling is that you play better, but you don't really get the wins you deserve. So, it's a bit of a mix of both. You want to play well and also be able to win the games where maybe you don't have your A-game.
Can I just bring it back to the equaliser? From your perspective, what happened there? It seemed to be another sort of miscommunication between you and Lisandro Martinez.
I haven't watched it back yet, but I don't think there was really a miscommunication. First of all, I think the cross needs to be stopped. We need to put more pressure on the guy with the ball because his cross is too easy. Then I think it's a bit of a struggle, a bit of push and pull between the attacker and Licha (Martinez). And, yeah, I think he got away with it. But I don't think there was a miscommunication, no.
What did you make of the overall performance today? Tottenham were very dominant in the first 25 or 30 minutes.
I think in the first half, everyone could see that we needed to be better with the ball and without it. They had a very good, technically sound plan to try to press us, which was difficult to play out of. Then, at half-time, you could see we made some tactical changes, and a couple of players came on who helped us out as well. Then you could see that we pulled the game towards us, and you had the feeling you were in control of it.
Next time, we need to try to start the game like that straight away. Especially here, we need to be able to press their team and control the game.
Can you speak a bit about those players coming in, like Carlos Baleba?
It's very important. One of the good things about today was that they came on and helped us out a lot - everyone could see it. We needed that extra spark towards the end, those fresh legs. I'm very happy for them as well that they could show themselves, but that's what we've been seeing in training every day, so for us, it's nothing new. We know we have a very deep squad. Those players are going to have to step up this season as well, and I'm happy they were able to do that today.
Can I ask about your reflections on the defence so far this season? It feels like there have been a few occasions when there have been errors or miscommunications. I'm wondering how you see it from your position and what conversations you've had.
I agree. I think sometimes, in the end, it comes down to a mistake here or there from someone, but it doesn't really start with that. I think it's a team thing. The manager has been hammering home the message about defending as a team and being able to put pressure on the opposition, especially when it comes to crosses.
I think today was better, but then you see that, in the end, one good cross and one good header can cost you the game, or the win can slip away like that. So I understand what you're saying, but I think we've been trying to make a difference there, and I think it's already been better. It's a pity that today, especially at the end, the win slipped away from us.
Looking at the schedule, it's not great. You've got three really tough away games coming up. You said it felt like a loss in a way. How do you stay positive?
I mean, you can look at it both ways. We know there are a lot of games coming up very quickly. After a disappointment, you can carry that disappointment with you, or you can move on quickly and focus on the fact that there's another game coming up soon.
For me personally, if I haven't had the best game, I'm looking forward to the next one to get that sour feeling out of my mouth. So I think that's the mindset we need to have. We know we showed a lot of good things today as well, so we need to take those positives and learn from the bad things.
As you say, there are a lot of very important games coming up, but we also love playing those games. We fought last year to be in the Champions League, so we're very happy to be there. And if you want to go far in that competition, you have to win those games as well.
