Lammens admits Carrick has been 'hammering' United over defensive shape after Spurs stalemate

Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens has disclosed that manager Michael Carrick has been “hammering” his players on defensive structure and stopping crosses, following a frustrating 1-1 Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

United looked set to claim a precious three points when they led against a Spurs side reduced to 10 men, only for Sandro Tonali to find space to deliver a cross that Dominic Solanke headed home in added time. Lisandro Martinez drew criticism for grappling with Solanke rather than tracking the ball, though Bryan Mbeumo had also failed to close down Tonali before the delivery.

“It’s very disappointing,” Lammens told reporters. “Because you find a way to get the game, to get the advantage, to score a goal, to get one-nil up against ten men, so that’s the position you want to be in. We need to learn from it a lot, because these are the games you have to try to pull towards yourself.”

The dropped points leave United with just six from their opening six Premier League fixtures, a return that Lammens acknowledged falls well short of the club’s ambitions. He drew a telling comparison with last season, when United found ways to grind out results despite not always performing at their best — a habit they have so far failed to replicate.

“It’s a bit like that feeling last season where maybe we didn’t have our A-game, but we still were able to pull those games out and win,” he said. “This feeling is like, you feel like you play better, but you don’t really get the wins you deserve.”

On the defensive frailties that have undermined their campaign, Lammens was candid about the message coming from the dugout. “The manager has been hammering a lot about defending as a team, being able to put pressure on the opposition,” he said. “I think it’s a team thing — it doesn’t really start with one mistake from someone.”

Lammens did offer some encouragement, noting that United were more solid in the second half after a difficult opening 45 minutes, but conceded that surviving spells of pressure is not enough when the side is conceding avoidable late goals. With Carrick continuing to stress collective defensive responsibility, the coming weeks will test whether his message has been absorbed.