He shouldn't get another game. There really is no point in playing him in our "system". Just get rid in the summer.
34
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
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I dont think he suits our style of quick direct play on the counter or half counter. He kept turning back and playing it safe, killing attacks.
We had a counter in the second half and he turned back to retain the ball.
We had a counter in the second half and he turned back to retain the ball.
I don't see any intelligence tbh, seems like a complete myth just because he was an ex Ajax player.
They don't do counter there?
Donny is an awful awful player. I cannot bear to watch him. He is slow, negative and only passes backwards. He is so poor, he represents a complete waste of a player on the pitch.
Ultimately, I would rather he took some risks and made some promising runs forward or even a simple pass or two forward. He actually looks 'scared'. It seems he has absolutely no fire within him which again is odd, as you would expect him to want to really prove himself given the lack of game time he has had. He is by far the weakest midfield player I can ever remember playing for United.
Not sure why some people feel sorry for him. You have to make your own chances and luck in football. I have no idea why we bought him, but he needs to be sold asap.
Ultimately, I would rather he took some risks and made some promising runs forward or even a simple pass or two forward. He actually looks 'scared'. It seems he has absolutely no fire within him which again is odd, as you would expect him to want to really prove himself given the lack of game time he has had. He is by far the weakest midfield player I can ever remember playing for United.
Not sure why some people feel sorry for him. You have to make your own chances and luck in football. I have no idea why we bought him, but he needs to be sold asap.
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He had a big role in our goal, but I have to say it is disappointing to see he doesn't have the confidence to even attempt a long through ball when there is a clearcut counter attack opportunity.
I think it's clear he has qualities in the box and his link-up play is excellent, but in our system he just doesn't seem to fit well. Let's see, though, I still have hopes that he can find his role in the team
I think it's clear he has qualities in the box and his link-up play is excellent, but in our system he just doesn't seem to fit well. Let's see, though, I still have hopes that he can find his role in the team
the cynic in me says that dummy was more him not being in a better position to strike the ball himself
but yeah that would probably be me going to extremes
Nice play in the goal. Invisible otherwise.
They play possession football
Hate to say that, but the guy is totally, utterly useless. He can't dribble, he doesn't get into scoring positions, nor does he create advantage on the counter, he rarely puts a cross in. He's lazy in his pressing, and weak physically with non existent presence in the air. But most of all, he's cowardly when he gets the ball.
Just checked his passing stats on fbref out of curiosity, and it's a terrifying read.
Out of all midfielders among top leagues, he is in 8th worst percentile (which means 92% of players are statistically superior) in progressive passes , 16th in progressive passes distance, 8th in through balls (although it can't be worse with 0.00 per game), 1st percentile in long passes, both completed ant attempted. He's also the worst out of all our squad, apart from Cavani, De Gea and Henderson when it comes to progressive ball carries. The entire season he made only 4 shot attempts in all competitions. So, the question that springs to mind is - what does he do exactly?
Just checked his passing stats on fbref out of curiosity, and it's a terrifying read.
Out of all midfielders among top leagues, he is in 8th worst percentile (which means 92% of players are statistically superior) in progressive passes , 16th in progressive passes distance, 8th in through balls (although it can't be worse with 0.00 per game), 1st percentile in long passes, both completed ant attempted. He's also the worst out of all our squad, apart from Cavani, De Gea and Henderson when it comes to progressive ball carries. The entire season he made only 4 shot attempts in all competitions. So, the question that springs to mind is - what does he do exactly?
Don't see any of that. Yet another overhyped Ajax product who has no business being in the PL. He is currently outflopping Klaassen which is a remarkable feat.
I assume in this possession based system they occasionally might pass the ball forward though. Something VDB has yet to be shown capable of.
Lacks confidence and it shows. He’s reluctant to even pass the ball forward. I feel he’s always trying to play it safe. I saw him play for ajax, this is far from that player.
He's terrified of playing a long pass - maybe he's just not capable of doing it. Either way he's a really strange signing and I hope for his sake and the sake of our club that we find a solution in the summer.
Totally pointless player. If he can't become a CM rather than a #10 then we may as well get rid. He isn't an upgrade on Andreas and I'd certainly prefer Lingard in the #10.
One of the few players in the team I consider an embarrassment. Lots of players not good enough to challenge for the title, but none as cowardly.
Nothing player in our system. Signing made no sense in the summer and still isn't.
Yes he was doing these things at Ajax, now hes come here now he looks out of sorts..
Agree with this. He just isn't going to function as a #10 in our team, so unless we plan on playing him in the midfield two more often going forward....
Why does he want to play backwards so much?
Says a lot that his best moment in a Utd shirt in months was him not touching the ball
And that means no counter?
Tbh I don't watch them but it's crazy for me to think there's a team that ask their players to pass backward in a transition.
I think he was bought to give us an option to play a different system if needed. And he is still being slowly introduced to the system. Just.a wild guess to tell myself that the signing was for a particular reason.
The guy's a ghost. Just completely invisible throughout the game, and in all the games he's played to be fair. I've tried to defend him on here, but he looks absolutely lost. If anything, he plays the ball too fast. I used to praise him for this aspect of his game, but it's now to the detriment of the team. Instead of receiving it and turning and looking around, he IMMEDIATELY lays it off to someone, typically passing it backwards, and halting any momentum we may have built up. He does it time after time. He treats the ball like a ticking timebomb.
Also, he never seems to find space to help out the players around him and give them an option. Basically the complete opposite of Bruno, who never stops moving.
Also, he never seems to find space to help out the players around him and give them an option. Basically the complete opposite of Bruno, who never stops moving.
Totally agree.
We're not getting our money back with him. At least with Di Maria, Schneiderlin, Depay etc we pretty much got our money back; with De Beek we'll be lucky to get £10 million for him.
Give me a break. He has played in strong lineups several times and been a complete nonentity in all of those. Guy is a non-existing coward.
Keep it tidy, safety first, boring boring. It's how he was trained.
I've given up on him months ago, useless player for us.
On hindsight, we really should have pile the money spent on him + some more on Sancho. What an utterly bizarre signing
Wow that's very strong from you.
I totally agree but you always seem very patient with players, suppose it shows how bad he is.
That would only be a good defense of him if he was continually making himself available to receive the ball and looking to play in others. Instead, he's way too comfortable in just laying the ball off about 5 yards to the person behind him.
DvB problems are the problems of our coaching staff. There's a good player in him, whatever system he was playing - he has been with us long enough to learn a new one.
Either way, regarding today's game he was better than Fred. Helped create the only goal we scored, while Fred, and Matic were an absolute disgrace in the midfield.
Taking DvB off instead of Fred was a fecking insane move. Not sure why Ole thinks Fred is a defensive midfielder and McT is a box-to-box one, when there's little evidence of either. At least not at our level
Either way, regarding today's game he was better than Fred. Helped create the only goal we scored, while Fred, and Matic were an absolute disgrace in the midfield.
Taking DvB off instead of Fred was a fecking insane move. Not sure why Ole thinks Fred is a defensive midfielder and McT is a box-to-box one, when there's little evidence of either. At least not at our level
I sometimes wonder if he's human. He looks a robot running on Javascript out there. Simple, risk-free, joyless.
Ultimately I agree with most of the recent posters on here... He appears to be lazy, slow and disinterested. I have a hunch that he has already given up on United. He clearly isn't fighting for a place and looks uncomfortable overall. He doesn't appear to have any rapport with his team-mates at all and I have never even seen him talking with any of them. He even looked disinterested and dare I say 'bored' when we scored! Did he even properly celebrate with any of his team-mates?
In many ways, his demeanour and approach reminds me greatly of that of Alexis Sanchez when he was with us. Embarrassing player.
In many ways, his demeanour and approach reminds me greatly of that of Alexis Sanchez when he was with us. Embarrassing player.
It's a little unfair digging him out when he's been lobbed in to the mix, barely match fit, with the likes of Ndidi and Tielemans snapping at his heels.
The turning backwards with the ball, during a counter attack was bizarre, but it shows how low on confidence he is.
The annoying thing is, he will go elsewhere and suddenly be amazing again. Not every signing hits the ground like Bruno. We need a few more with his attitude and passion.
The turning backwards with the ball, during a counter attack was bizarre, but it shows how low on confidence he is.
The annoying thing is, he will go elsewhere and suddenly be amazing again. Not every signing hits the ground like Bruno. We need a few more with his attitude and passion.
In your opinion, who performed well today?
Looks utterly devoid of confidence on the ball and off it.
When on it his first thought is to get rid and when off it he goes hiding behind players like Cleverley used to.
Feel for him and hope he can bounce back next year perhaps but he's a shell of a footballer at the minute.
When on it his first thought is to get rid and when off it he goes hiding behind players like Cleverley used to.
Feel for him and hope he can bounce back next year perhaps but he's a shell of a footballer at the minute.
Looks like he needs a tall glass of Complan and a lie down.
I suppose if we can wait until puberty kicks in, we will have quite the player I'm sure.
I suppose if we can wait until puberty kicks in, we will have quite the player I'm sure.
Turd player. Cut our losses and give him away as a sweetener to West Ham if they buy Lingard.
He can only play in the direction of Holland.
It’s just how he plays. He plays in areas of the field that occupy the number 10 position but he totally shirks every single responsibility that role requires. Safe passing and off the ball movements into the box is what he wants. The post by @Pascal above on his passing exemplifies it.
At Ajax it was De Jong and Ziyech taking the entire creative burden off his shoulders. What the feck is he going to offer here?!
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