Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been left frustrated by his side's goalkeeping situation, but he may benefit from listening to a previous Sir Alex Ferguson comment
As Ruben Amorim grapples with his goalkeeping dilemma at Manchester United, he could do worse than heed the wisdom Sir Alex Ferguson shared with Sean Dyche. Today, goalkeepers are expected to start attacks and maintain possession with their feet, while Ferguson solely concentrated on how his No. 1s were able to stop goals going in.
Altay Bayindir once more looked shaky during United's 1-1 away draw with Fulham when dealing with the Cottagers' set-pieces. It mirrored his struggles against Arsenal seven days earlier.
Nevertheless, he showcased his distribution skills when he released Matheus Cunha with a thunderous long ball, with the Brazilian's attempt being expertly thwarted by Cottagers keeper Bernd Leno.
Impressive as this was, Ferguson, during a private chat with Dyche after a previous meeting between Burnley and United, insisted the primary concern for keepers should be preventing goals and dealing with crosses, rather than fancy footwork.
Given Bayindir and Andre Onana have both looked uncertain under Amorim, who is reportedly eyeing a swoop for Royal Antwerp shot-stopper Senne Lammens, the United head coach might be wise to follow Ferguson's counsel when making his next goalkeeping call.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Dyche revealed details of a discussion he'd had with the legendary United chief regarding his former Burnley keeper Nick Pope, now of Newcastle. Dyche said: "Different managers want different things. They were questioning Nick Pope, I couldn't believe it.
"They were questioning him about his playing [with his feet], saying, 'Oh yeah, but he can't do this and he can't do that.' Sir Alex Ferguson always invites you up to his room there. When we (Burnley) played United, Nick Pope was playing terrific. I think we drew the game and he was coming out, taking crosses, terrific.
"He was the monster player that he is, great player for me, great goalkeeper. Sir Alex, he said, 'Oh he's a big boy and he does this,' and I said, 'Yeah, they keep going on about his feet.'
"He said, 'Feet? He stops the ball going in the net. People said that about [Edwin] van der Sar. That (ability with his feet) was a bonus. Van der Sar could handle and he could stop the ball going in the net. The rest of it was a bonus.'
"That's old guard by the way, but call it how it is. I'm not going against modern coaching, trust me, I know all the terminology and that's fine. But sometimes the simplicity is, his job is to stop the ball going into the net.
"Brian Clough used to say to his centre halves, 'Head it, and kick it, and give it to someone who is better than you – and that's everyone.' The basics are still the basics, that was Sir Alex's point, and Nick Pope stops it going in the goal."
Erik ten Hag, Amorim's predecessor at United, didn't heed this advice when he splashed the cash on Onana, a keeper known for his footwork and creativity, to replace David de Gea. However, Onana's shot-stopping and handling skills have been found wanting at Old Trafford.
With United said to be nearing a potential agreement over signing Lammens, it seems neither Bayindir nor Onana feature in Amorim's long-term plans. Given the shortcomings of both keepers, the ex-Sporting Lisbon boss might do well to ensure Lammens can handle the basics, much like Ferguson did with Van der Sar.