It’s been weeks since the Dutch media started questioning Donny van de Beek’s lack of playing time at Manchester United.
With the Red Devils finding a good sequence of results and fighting at the top of the Premier League table, plus Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba showing some great form, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer never had many reasons to change the team, and the 23-year-old wouldn’t even leave the bench on repeat occasions.
So Van de Beek had a golden chance on Sunday, as Manchester United faced Liverpool in the FA Cup and the Dutchman was given a place in the starting eleven.
Following an average performance, he ended up replaced by Bruno Fernandes, who scored the Red Devils’ winner and got some deserved praise for that.
That made Dutch journalists once again unsatisfied with Van de Beek’s status at Old Trafford, and Voetbal International writer Süleyman Öztürk now rages against the Premier League side.
“You cannot ignore the fact that Van de Beek has ended up in an awful situation,” said Öztürk (via Soccer News).
“He’ll never reach the numbers or the status of Bruno Fernandes when asked to act like a player in the absence of Bruno Fernandes resembling Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese takes the game to him, while Van de Beek moves away from the ball.”
“The Norwegian tries to keep him sharp and motivated by saying that he must be patient. Manchester United emphatically don’t want to let Van de Beek go, Edwin van der Sar recently claimed at Ziggo that Van de Beek’s time is yet to come. The reality is that his competitor turns out to be so dominant that Solskjaer cannot draw Van de Beek up.
The journalist joined other compatriots by urging Van de Beek to quickly leave the club: “He hasn’t been brought in on his characteristics as a footballer. And if he is, he’s currently being fooled by his coach. My advice: try to get away as soon as possible. If you don’t want to be kept on a leash for too long.”
