MU vs Wolves: The 'Red Devils' weather the storm thanks to their defense

30/12/2025 12:01:00 VictoryVox

What helped MU defeat Newcastle to stay strong during a serious manpower crisis? Ruben Amorim is focusing on the defense as a foundation, both in terms of clean sheets and scoring goals.

The Portuguese coach did not hide the formula that helped his team hold onto a slim victory on Boxing Day: "We try to maintain a solid defense with six defenders. If we keep this mentality, we can secure many more wins." MU preserved their victory with just 24% ball possession and the reliability of the central defensive duo Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven.

Lammens erases the nightmare in goal

However, if there is one name that stands out as a pillar for MU’s defense during this difficult period, it has to be goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The win against Newcastle marked only the second clean sheet for the Belgian keeper this season. Nonetheless, this statistic does not diminish the value the 23-year-old has brought since joining from Antwerp last summer for just £18 million.

Last season, securing a clean sheet was a challenge for MU as both goalkeepers Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir performed inconsistently. Lammens’ arrival at Old Trafford raised doubts since, despite having 106 career starts, half of those (55) were in the Belgian top league. Moving to MU is clearly a much bigger challenge for the Belgian keeper. So far, Lammens has gradually earned the full trust of his new teammates, and former MU goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel believes Manchester United has made the right choice in goal: "At just 23, Lammens has brought stability to the defense. This is a stark contrast to the previous chaos when defenders hesitated to pass back to the keeper. They trust Lammens. He’s young but confident." Lammens’ clean record so far, without any direct errors leading to goals, shows Amorim has found his answer for the number one goalkeeper spot at Old Trafford. The haunting moments of costly mistakes in goal are fading away at Manchester United.

The defense is guiding MU towards victories amid the personnel crisis

Dorgu gains confidence as Amorim adjusts

Above all, Amorim has shifted his defensive approach by accepting a back four instead of stubbornly sticking to a three-center-back formation. Although this is a temporary solution to manage the personnel shortage, it’s clear that MU’s defenders have been positioned correctly to maximize their natural abilities.

One of them is Patrick Dorgu, who scored the only goal in the Newcastle victory with a stunning volley. The Danish defender joined Old Trafford earlier this year, expected to solve the left wing-back position where Amorim had yet to find a reliable option. Unfortunately, the Portuguese coach expressed disappointment about Dorgu’s issues late last month: "Dorgu needs to be calmer on the pitch. You can sense the nervousness in every touch he takes, and I noticed that too." That’s why the former Leece player lost his starting spot until the match against Aston Villa.

Instead of carrying the full burden of both defense and attack, Dorgu was pushed forward to play as a winger. The 21-year-old has benefited from MU’s severe shortage of attacking options. At least, his assist for Cunha’s goal in the loss to Aston Villa and now the winning goal against Newcastle indicate that Dorgu’s confidence issues have somewhat been resolved. Every match now is a golden opportunity for the Danish player to prove he is ready for the high expectations at Old Trafford.

Tonight’s match against Wolves will be a chance for Amorim’s MU to add another victory, proving to everyone that life without captain Bruno Fernandes is not a disaster. The backbone that helped Amorim’s squad defeat the Premier League’s bottom team are defensive players like Lammens and Dorgu.

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