Donny van de Beek’s situation at Manchester United continues to be a theme for the Dutch media, with comments now after every match he doesn’t appear in.
Following the 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, there’s been multiple takes in the Netherlands about the midfielder’s woes. On one side, there’s plenty of people who feel the concern is over the top and Van de Beek should be given a season to settle in, and on the other hand there’s those who doubt whether he’ll ever be able to succeed at Old Trafford.
Voetbal International have published comments from one of their latest podcasts, and it’s no surprise that Van de Beek was among the topics. Franks Hoek, who worked as a goalkeeping coach at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal, appeared as a guest on the podcast, and was inevitably asked for his take on the situation.
Hoek is quoted as saying: “It is a big transition, from the Eredivisie to the Premier League. Not only the speed of action, but also physically. It is Ajax-Feyenoord in England every week, where you also have to win every match at United. But it is not as easy there as in some matches in the Netherlands. I think that we can only actually assess Van de Beek when we are one year later.
“Perhaps this is the run-up to a fantastic career for Van de Beek in Manchester. If not, there will be plenty of other clubs for him. For now I would say: wait and see.”
Hoek was also asked about his former club being top of the of the league, and their chances of success this season, and he isn’t exactly backing them to take the title: “Of course I follow them, but I don’t think they play impressively. The fact that they are now at the top is also due to the fact that the rest of the teams do not reach their usual level.
“I think Manchester City will stand out. That is also a big difference with United: City have a clear way of playing. Liverpool have that too, although they have some problems now. But at United, the way of playing is much less clear to see.”
