Ramses is secured as Manchester United’s long-term first-choice goalkeeper! One player could become the perfect backup, recreating the De Gea era setup.

Manchester United goalkeeper Senna Ramses earned the Man of the Match award in the 1-0 win against Everton. After the match, Carrick discovered that his former United teammate Edwin van der Sar was commenting on the game on television with Carragher. Carrick smartly declined to compare Ramses to Van der Sar.

"I have to be cautious with what I say," Carrick stated, "I don’t want to put them side by side because I feel that wouldn’t be fair to Senna (Ramses). They definitely share some similarities; you want your goalkeeper to be dependable and trustworthy."

"You want your keeper to eliminate chaos and stabilize the situation, not create confusion. I believe Senna fits that role perfectly. Sometimes he’s quiet and humble, but determined. For some, that’s a crucial role, and it depends on adapting to the environment. Sometimes it takes time, sometimes it doesn’t, but he truly remains calm and composed. That greatly benefits his teammates in front of him."

When assessing Ramses’ performance against Everton, Carrick said: "He made several outstanding saves and stayed composed under such tough conditions. Many corners flew dangerously close to goal, but he didn’t panic, seized a few good chances, and his saves were very clean and sharp. His performance tonight was vital for us."

Former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele shared a story from the past. It was a day in 2009 when Cristiano Ronaldo was involved in a car accident on his way to Carrington.

"At that moment, Cristiano’s only concern—which I’m sure Manchester United fans will agree with—was not being late for training and avoiding Sir Alex Ferguson’s wrath. He didn’t care about the car at all," Steele said. "Fortunately, veteran Van der Sar happened to pass by, recognized Ronaldo’s wrecked car, and offered him a ride: 'Get in quickly, I’ll take you to training; we’ll sort out the rest later.' That’s a goalkeeper—for you, we’re always there when you need us!"

Recently, not just Manchester United but the global football scene has seen a peculiar trend: the most important skill for goalkeepers is no longer shot-stopping but footwork and ball control. The Red Devils’ goal area has become less secure, with André Onana, Alphonse Areola, and even David De Gea later making errors that led to goals.

Ramses’ arrival changed this scenario. The 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper may not often pull off miraculous saves, but he remains calm and rarely makes mistakes. This trait is inherited from his parents and is a quality he has consciously developed.

"Jingjiwang" revealed that Ramses received psychological counseling as a child and still keeps a diary, recording his emotions after every match. He is also an avid reader and has openly discussed how the late NBA star Kobe Bryant’s autobiography "The Mamba Mentality" influenced his own mindset. Before every game, Ramses writes Kobe’s numbers 8 and 24 on his gloves as a reminder to stay focused.

Steele commented: "I think he started very well, showcasing his natural talent and skills. Then I felt his form dipped, but considering the team’s situation at the time, it’s understandable. After Amolin was dismissed—no offense intended—that actually helped because now we have goalkeeper coach Craig Mawson, who can offer on-field guidance and help Ramses regain his form."

Jorge Vital was Ramses’ first coach at Manchester United. The 64-year-old coach had worked alongside Amolin at Sporting CP and Braga, and Amolin once claimed he would rather have him as a backup than use Rashford. However, Steele does not believe this coach advanced Ramses’ development.

Steele explained: "I went to watch matches and even observed warm-ups, and I couldn’t believe it—a goalkeeper coach who didn’t participate in drills himself. If you don’t demonstrate yourself, I’m not sure you can clearly convey your ideas. I think Ramses was affected; I believe he didn’t get the guidance he needed."

The relationship between goalkeeper and coach is critical. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Steele worked with Peter Schmeichel, Van der Sar, and De Gea. Notably, De Gea was personally selected by Steele, who even gave up attending a cup match in person to monitor the Spanish keeper’s performance.

Before recommending De Gea to the team, Steele watched 17 games live and, after De Gea joined, helped him adapt to the Premier League by teaching him English slang, changing his diet, and even adjusting his meal times to increase muscle mass.

Initially, De Gea made significant mistakes and faced criticism, but later he won the Matt Busby Player of the Year award a record four times, voted by Manchester United fans as the best player of the year. Steele believes Ramses is now showing signs of similar improvement.

As Manchester United’s goalkeeper, most of the time you may be inactive, but at crucial moments you must make saves that decide the outcome. Legend Gary Neville once described the United goalkeeper position as the toughest job in English football. Steele said: "That’s what we expect from Ramses, and he has delivered in the last two or three games. At key moments, he made important saves. A goalkeeper must be fully focused with no lapses."

Next season, Manchester United will likely face a four-competition schedule again, so they need a stronger backup goalkeeper. Fans believe recalling Radek Vitek from the Championship to replace Areola could recreate the excellent pairing of De Gea and Sergio Romero from the past.

The Czech youngster Vitek was loaned to Bristol City in the Championship to replace the injured goalkeeper Max O’Leary. O’Leary hadn’t missed a minute in the previous two seasons, but after recovering, he found he could no longer reclaim the number one spot. Vitek quickly established himself as the undisputed first-choice keeper, winning fans over with his excellent ball control, reliable catching, and impressive aerial ability. His outstanding performance forced the former main goalkeeper to end his 18-year tenure at the club and transfer to West Brom in January.

So far, Vitek has started 27 matches in the Championship. Last month, his spectacular save in an away game against Ipswich was considered a candidate for the season’s best save. Vitek has expressed his hope to return to Manchester United this summer and fight for a place in the first team. If he continues to perform well until the season’s end, this dream might come true.

Ramses will definitely remain the first-choice keeper, but Onana is expected to be sold, Areola’s future is uncertain, and Tom Heaton’s contract expires in June. The 22-year-old Vitek might earn a spot. He has not yet been called up for the senior or U21 national teams, so Manchester United needs to assess whether he is mature enough to compete with Ramses.