The paradox of the person who brought Lammens to light.

Lammens has given MU many positive signs.

On the night of October 19th, new signing Lammens continued to prove his worth by helping MU defeat Liverpool 2-1 in the 8th round of the Premier League. This was the second consecutive match in which Lammens started and MU won both games. He is gradually proving that the trust the coaching staff has placed in him is entirely deserved. With his good reflexes, accurate situational awareness, and confidence in front of top strikers, Lammens promises to be a stable choice in goal for MU for many seasons to come.

Manchester United once boasted legendary goalkeepers like Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea. But when De Gea left in 2023, the goalkeeping position fell into crisis with Andre Onana – a controversial signing. However, a glimmer of hope is emerging at Old Trafford, and the hero behind the scenes is Tony Coton – the goalkeeping scout who played a key role in bringing De Gea to the club and could now replicate that feat with Lammens.

Tony Coton is no stranger to Manchester United fans. A former goalkeeper for the club in the 1990s, he returned in 2020 as Head of Goalkeeper Scouting. Although he didn't directly discover David de Gea (that credit goes to Eric Steele in 2007), Coton helped shape the rigorous standards for the number one position at MU during their golden era under Sir Alex Ferguson.

With his keen eye and extensive experience, he is considered the "brain" behind major goalkeeping decisions. However, when MU signed Andre Onana in 2023, Coton was excluded from the selection process. This was a decision by manager Erik ten Hag, who favored the former Ajax goalkeeper.

The result? Onana's disastrous mistakes eroded fans' faith. By mid-2024, when coach Ruben Amorim requested a goalkeeper who was both adept at saving shots and mentally strong, Coton was tasked with finding a replacement. And he didn't disappoint the fans.

Tony Coton is a veteran scout for Manchester United.

Lammens, the 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper, was signed by MU from Antwerp for £18.2 million (plus £3.5 million in add-ons). This was not a hasty signing. Coton had been monitoring Lammens for almost a year since 2023, regularly attending Antwerp matches to assess the young talent.

With his 1.96m height, cat-like reflexes, and impressive penalty-saving ability, Lammens was dubbed the "Belgian Neuer" but with the calm demeanor of De Gea. However, while Lammens was becoming a new rising star at Old Trafford, Coton was sacked by MU in December 2024 as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's restructuring aimed at reducing the squad.

Although MU signed Lammens based on analyses and assessments from as far back as 2023 by Coton, the club's owners were unaware that they were sacking a legendary figure. This is a paradox. MU fans on online forums criticized Sir Jim and his team for the indiscriminate cuts in the scouting department.

The success of the club's new signings this season owes a great deal to players like Coton, but they were sacked long ago to save a few million pounds in wages.

Source: https://znews.vn/nghich-ly-cua-nguoi-dua-lammens-ra-anh-sang-post1595440.html