Senne Lammens has called on his Manchester United teammates to raise their game for the final two matches of the season following a disappointing goalless draw with Sunderland. The Red Devils struggled at the Stadium of Light, with Lammens emerging as the standout performer for the visitors.
Match Overview
United failed to register a shot on target until injury time, when Matheus Cunha fired straight at Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs. At the other end, Lammens was forced into action, making crucial saves to deny Noah Sadiki and Brian Brobbey. The lacklustre display came after manager Michael Carrick made five changes to his starting lineup following last weekend's 3-2 victory over Liverpool, which secured Champions League football for next season.
United currently sit third in the Premier League table ahead of their final two fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Brighton. They have no chance of leapfrogging Manchester City into second place and face little threat from fourth-placed Liverpool.
Lammens' Call to Arms
Despite the subdued performance, Lammens insists there is still plenty to play for. "We had to work very hard to keep the clean sheet away at Sunderland, given the way they have been playing this season," he told Premier League Productions. "We always knew it was going to be a difficult one. We weren't at our best on the ball quality-wise, but the most important things were probably not conceding and working together as a team defensively. We can take some good points away from that."
The Belgian goalkeeper added: "These are still important games for us because we want to finish as high as possible, with the most points as possible. However, Sunderland away is a tough one because they are a good team who work well together. So I think it wasn't our day with the ball, but we can be proud of the things we did without the ball."
Mindset for the Final Games
Asked about the mentality for the remaining matches, Lammens said: "We can't stop here. I know the Champions League was our main goal, but we want to finish with as many points as possible. We want to finish with a good feeling to build on for next season, so we know how important these final games are for that. It's important to show up and deliver in every game. We are going to try to win every game possible. We want to give back to our fans, who have been very supportive this season."
The 24-year-old also revealed Carrick's message to the squad: "The manager has got the point across to us that this season is not finished. We have got Champions League, but we also want to finish third. We don't want to finish below third, we want to keep those other teams away from us. I hope - and I think - our team thinks the same way as me."
Carrick's Perspective
Carrick echoed Lammens' sentiments in his post-match interview with Sky Sports. "We gave everything this week," he insisted. "We've got our last home game of the season that we will work towards this week. We look forward to it. It's important to finish the season strong and I think today is a positive note for us."
United will now prepare for their final home game against Nottingham Forest before traveling to Brighton on the last day of the season.
