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2020-21 Performances

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5.7 Season Average Rating
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For the love of god, stop playing VDB as a #10. He doesn't suit that position in our team, he's never going to be a regular starter in that position in our team, so move on.

It's not like Fred, Matic and McTominay are outstanding midfielders, it's not like VDB hasn't regularly played in a deeper role in the past and it's not like it isn't a more obvious position in which he could have a positive impact for us. That's where he should be played.
 
He looked like he wanted to get subbed off for most of the game. It's abundantly clear he's low on confidence.

He had all the freedom in the world to receive the ball in his position without being pressured but he decided to play as a shadow striker instead.

If he develops physically and defensive he could compete for Fred's spot, but the way he played today he'll probably hand in a transfer request next summer.

Edit: @bosnian_red was spot on in his prediction before the game and in his analysis after.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
It genuinely beggars belief that anyone at Manchester United could have scouted this guy and thought “yup, he’s what we need as cover for Bruno”. Not that he’s a crap player but he’s an absolutely terrible choice for that role in our squad. Truly awful decision.
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If also begs a question that I thought I'd never be asking. Is he genuinely an upgrade on Lingard?
 
Shark said:
If also begs a question that I thought I'd never be asking. Is he genuinely an upgrade on Lingard?
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Not from what we’ve seen. Not even close.
 
sullydnl said:
For the love of god, stop playing VDB as a #10. He doesn't suit that position in our team, he's never going to be a regular starter in that position in our team, so move on.

It's not like Fred, Matic and McTominay are outstanding midfielders, it's not like VDB hasn't regularly played in a deeper role in the past and it's not like it isn't a more obvious position in which he could have a positive impact for us. That's where he should be played.
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Yes, i really dont get the usage of him

I dont really understand why we cant switch to a 433 when bruno isnt playing it would surely make better use of the players we have
 
He's now played 1000 minutes for us and I still don't really know what he's good at. Obviously I'm an idiot but even so at some point you can usually see what the strengths and weaknesses are of a player, I couldn't tell you how good his passing, dribbling or shooting is.

I don't think that's entirely his fault, as the commentators kept saying tonight he's never getting in ahead of Bruno so he's never going to get consistent gametime in that position but to me that begs the question of why aren't we trying him in different roles to see how he'll do and whether or not we can utilise him effectively?
 
Pogue Mahone said:
It genuinely beggars belief that anyone at Manchester United could have scouted this guy and thought “yup, he’s what we need as cover for Bruno”. Not that he’s a crap player but he’s an absolutely terrible choice for that role in our squad. Truly awful decision.
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Call me a crackpot, but I do think part of the reason we signed him was because it was quite an easy deal to do. Ajax had agreed to let him go that summer, so he was available (Madrid had to back out for financial reasons), and we have very good relations with Ajax in general. I don’t think we’d signed anyone by that point in the window either, so it was a nice easy one to placate fans a bit.

Like I say, crackpot perhaps, but the alternative like you say — the scouting team thinking he’s good cover for Bruno — seems even less likely to me!
 
mariachi-19 said:
I think he would have his use if Martial wasn't so lazy and they could bounce of each other.
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Yeah it's Martial fault this guy looks completely lost out there everytime he steps out on the pitch for us.

The biggest waste of money in a very very long time and doesn't shed a good light at our scouting system at all. Which is a department at our club that I'm most suspicious with anyway
 
We’d of been as well as giving Dortmund what they wanted for Sancho and just not bothered with VdB.
 
sullydnl said:
For the love of god, stop playing VDB as a #10. He doesn't suit that position in our team, he's never going to be a regular starter in that position in our team, so move on.

It's not like Fred, Matic and McTominay are outstanding midfielders, it's not like VDB hasn't regularly played in a deeper role in the past and it's not like it isn't a more obvious position in which he could have a positive impact for us. That's where he should be played.
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Hes a not CM either, thats the thing. Hes not really good at pressing the opponents and isnt good at all defensively either. His biggest strength is one touch passes and going for "clever" runs inside the box. He could probs work in a 4-3-3- system where hes playing on the left or right in the midfield where he could be a threat with runs inside the box, with no defensive responsibilities. But in our current system he doesnt fit in, its that simple tbh. He looks like an ordinary player in our system and hasnt had any positive impact at all so far.
 
He was a nailed on starter in a very reputable Ajax team. I just can't understand the reasoning in bringing him here as a cover/alternative to Bruno Fernandes when Bruno is a player that will play 95% of the games. Ole clearly doesn't see him as an option for the midfield two positions so it feels such an unnecessary signing. Big money spent on a player who was not taking his next move to become a backup. He said he was convinced on the move after a talk with Ole about how he was planning on using him, I would really like to know what Ole was saying in that conversation.

Feels just like a new self-inflicted problem. Mata and co could have done the same with those starts without the scrutiny and negative discussion on why they are not playing.
 
AltiUn said:
He's now played 1000 minutes for us and I still don't really know what he's good at. Obviously I'm an idiot but even so at some point you can usually see what the strengths and weaknesses are of a player, I couldn't tell you how good his passing, dribbling or shooting is.

I don't think that's entirely his fault, as the commentators kept saying tonight he's never getting in ahead of Bruno so he's never going to get consistent gametime in that position but to me that begs the question of why aren't we trying him in different roles to see how he'll do and whether or not we can utilise him effectively?
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I think he's supposed to be technically proficient, mobile, hard working and tactically astute. Someone whose tidy work and link-up play in midfield would help those around him and make the system he's in function better.

Whereas we're currently playing him in a role where we're essentially asking him as an indivudal to just make stuff happen, as Bruno does.
 
I never really saw him much at Ajax. What system did they play and where was he? And was it same in Champions League?
 
I still stand by the opinion that VdB needs a run of games before we can really judge him. And I feel like he will get exactly that this month, so this time will be really crucial for him.

I will say, though, why does he make these runs and ask the ball in insane positions when not even prime Xavi/Iniesta would be able to find him? And to make the matter worse, he's done that a bunch of times when Fred of all people has the ball
 
LovelyLittlePanda said:
He looked like he wanted to get subbed off for most of the game. It's abundantly clear he's low on confidence.

He had all the freedom in the world to receive the ball in his position without being pressured but he decided to play as a shadow striker instead.

If he develops physically and defensive he could compete for Fred's spot, but the way he played today he'll probably hand in a transfer request next summer.

Edit: @bosnian_red was spot on in his prediction before the game and in his analysis after.
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That's what bothers me as well. I always thought he operated between midfield and attack, #8 or #10 irrelevant. And here he is, shadow striker without any impact on the game. Did we really get him to play like that? Why didn't we just stick with Mata?
 
Does anyone else think he looks like a young Woody Harrelson? That’s about the best thing I can say about him...

Clearly he’s struggling. He doesn’t deserve anymore starts than he’s getting. Just hope he buckles down, works hard, and turns it around. I’m not writing him off.
 
He had some moments, but he plays very very safe and he often doesn’t go all in on overlaps or similar when the opportunity is there.
 
He spends most of his time away from the area where the possession play is and he looking for pockets of space away from that area so he isnt involved much. Needs players to find him in the spaces he gets in to where as the likes Fernandes and pogba are in the thick of it and trying to make something happen by looking for the ball at all times.
 
DWelbz19 said:
Call me a crackpot, but I do think part of the reason we signed him was because it was quite an easy deal to do. Ajax had agreed to let him go that summer, so he was available (Madrid had to back out for financial reasons), and we have very good relations with Ajax in general. I don’t think we’d signed anyone by that point in the window either, so it was a nice easy one to placate fans a bit.

Like I say, crackpot perhaps, but the alternative like you say — the scouting team thinking he’s good cover for Bruno — seems even less likely to me!
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I think you're right, an easy signing to appease fans. He's not what we needed at all, unless he does a Fred esque turn around next season.
 
He doesn't solve any issue for this team.
- We don't need a safety first Bruno back up at 10.
- He's not a playmaking 8
- He's not a DM

Looks like a lot of work to do to turn it around here.
 
If his best attribute is running into space it is about as useful as Ben Stiller's secret power in Mystery Men.
 
I know he doesn't play enough here - but he really does seem like a shadow of the player that he was at Ajax. He used to beautiful drop between the lines there.
Just seems to just hide behind opponents now to avoid getting a pass.

I really like the guy and I want him to do well - seems super likeable. I don't think it's about "not giving a shit" at all.
He just looks as if he's bricking it.
 
I'm going to write him off this season. Maybe with a pre season he will sort it out.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
It genuinely beggars belief that anyone at Manchester United could have scouted this guy and thought “yup, he’s what we need as cover for Bruno”. Not that he’s a crap player but he’s an absolutely terrible choice for that role in our squad. Truly awful decision.
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Eh, a midfield of:

Bruno--VDB
-------#6-----

looks perfectly cromulent to me. I imagine that was the idea, and Van De Beek doing so well as a 10 when Ajax fans were saying and presumably scouts watching him for years felt that he was best as an 8 in that sort of triangle where his best qualities (movement off ball and one touch passing) can shine were the rationales.

I think Bruno doing so well as a 10 that playing him as an 8 seems not worth it unless we have a world class option next to him that demands it has made this signing a poor one.

So yeah, I don't think it's working and we should look at a swap to plug a proper hole in the squad like RB, or a move for 25-30M to a team that wants him at that price, which shouldn't be tough to find. Probably depends on if Pogba goes and if we replace him though.

The other options would seem to be:

1) Give him a run in the 2 with McTominay/DM we should sign to replace Matic, and rest Fred a bit more.
2) Loan him somewhere with an option to buy for what we paid to a team that we think he'll look like he did at Ajax again, lots of teams in Bundesliga or Serie A make sense, maybe also Southampton or Leeds if he's interested. Could even do a swap for someone we want who wants out of there like Ings, Raphina or Phillips
3) Sell him (or loan to rebuild his value) back to Ajax and get Mazraoui in return as the other RB we need, maybe also 5-10M or so. Could conceivably get Neres or Anthony to give us a higher floor option at RW if we're committing to Greenwood moving centrally and selling Martial, as even with Diallo looking so good and Cavani presumably getting another year, we would then need another RW.
 
Currently feels like the Mata signing in that it was raved on here as a great deal but we've essentially bought a player with no obvious plan of what his role is going to be and right now he looks completely ineffectual. Hopefully it's something that can be fixed, maybe he will be one of those players who is much better in his second year, but right now he's in the situation where he needs a run of games to have any chance to find his role but he's not playing well enough in the games he plays to earn a run of games.
 
Keane would have torn him to shreds for that performance. He doesn’t remotely look like a #10 for United.
 
Problem so far with him is that he is too safe at times. He would not survive in EPL playing in deep position. Fred is small but he is in your face type player which can overcome his lack of strength. VDB is not.

I do not think he has a future as as first team player in this class. Look at Mata who was about 10x better than VDB and he only lasted about 3 seasons in EPL as first teamer.

VDB will get murdered playing at 6 or 8 in EPL.
 
With Van de Beek I have been of the opinion that, given time, he will adapt and be a goal threat for us. However, I am starting to worry about his trajectory. Games just pass him by. He doesn't seem to have the physicality or presence for English football. Everything is neat and tidy but he's not clicking with his teammates. People say play him deeper but Soucek and Rice would gobble him up in that role. Needs to bulk up and show some appetite fast.
 
People jumping the gun here as they did with fred, mctominay and endless others. They may be proven right but to be making definitive statements at the moment is a pointless exercise. I think solskjaers man management is generally excellent but seems to have mismanaged vdb so far. Very difficult to come in and out, often coming into already disjointed teams.
 
Shark said:
If also begs a question that I thought I'd never be asking. Is he genuinely an upgrade on Lingard?
Click to expand...

Not in that position.

What’s even more frustrating is that he’s shown glimpses of being a decent player for us in his preferred position. Against Istanbul at home, for example. It’s only when we insist on playing him out of position that he looks completely lost. Which damages his confidence more and more each time.
 
Did anyone else think that he almost looked relieved when his number was up? If you were watching it on the BBC he looked absolutely petrified when the board was being prepared and it was Matic's number first, then after it was his turn it was like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulder once he ran off, quite difficult to watch actually.
 
I don't see what the plan was when signing him. He's clearly not a #10 in United's system, and I doubt Utd bought him purely to be a back-up to Bruno who will rarely be rested.

If he's a Pogba replacement, why is he never given games in the midfield 2?
 
SER19 said:
People jumping the gun here as they did with fred, mctominay and endless others. They may be proven right but to be making definitive statements at the moment is a pointless exercise. I think solskjaers man management is generally excellent but seems to have mismanaged vdb so far. Very difficult to come in and out, often coming into already disjointed teams.
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I agree about not judging him. But I can’t see how OGS has mismanaged him, he’s our 6th best midfielder, and not shown anywhere near enough to get a run of games.
 
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