He might be suited to a more attacking role, but he is never going to get that role at a club like Utd, there is always going to be someone who offers more.
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I thought he looked pretty bright at times - usually whenever he was around Mata - his heart probably sank a bit when he realised he had to try interplay with Lingard though.
Fred was a nothing player as well when he joined
I thought he looked a different class to the turd we had on the pitch. His touch and passes in tight spots helped us to progress the ball up the pitch quickly in transitions.
Could have a stunning assist, Mata should score that. Donny definitely knows how to open up defenses efficiently. Hope to see more of him.
Can see why he isn't starting in the League yet. However I won't judge him too harshly until next year. He's proven himself to be a very good player at a high level for Ajax so deserves the benefit of the doubt for now.
Tidy but not incisive at all, has to be more adventurous on the ball with that lineup. Made some good runs that were ignored as usual.
Had one great moment with that close linkeup with Greenwood and backheel to put Mata through. He's really good in those spaces, especially playing off of Mata as they're both players that understand the concept of passing and moving off the ball immediately (they're the best at it in a squad full of players who want the ball to feet and don't make runs). Unfortunately, he shows the initiative to get in those spaces far too rarely, confidence is undoubtedly low but he has to do something to differentiate himself and he's just not.
He's also really fecking slow and easy to bully off the ball, it's sad to watch sometimes.
Still, it's early days and we've seen players come back from far worse starts to their United careers. Hope he improves and finds a place in the team, seems like a nice lad.
Had one great moment with that close linkeup with Greenwood and backheel to put Mata through. He's really good in those spaces, especially playing off of Mata as they're both players that understand the concept of passing and moving off the ball immediately (they're the best at it in a squad full of players who want the ball to feet and don't make runs). Unfortunately, he shows the initiative to get in those spaces far too rarely, confidence is undoubtedly low but he has to do something to differentiate himself and he's just not.
He's also really fecking slow and easy to bully off the ball, it's sad to watch sometimes.
Still, it's early days and we've seen players come back from far worse starts to their United careers. Hope he improves and finds a place in the team, seems like a nice lad.
Yeah there’s that as well. If we are to give him some slack he hasn’t had a run of games.
But we can’t really afford him those games with the ever present pressure on us to get results.
Have to hope we hit our stride and he gets time off the bench once games are won.
I thought he looked bit better actually. He looked completely lost the whole of the second half and once Matic came back he came back in to life again. Not the best but back in to some depth atleast and set up rashford for that shot on goal.
I like him...technically very good, love those flicks in and around the box.
But he needs to do a lot more than he's done this season to impose himself on matches.
Floats through games.
But he needs to do a lot more than he's done this season to impose himself on matches.
Floats through games.
Donny hot potato
Finally gets a start, chucked in with the shittest players at the club and he's expected to do what?
He needs more time to adjust like many others who switched to pl. Not everyone is like Bruno 
He is bought as a squad player. And he is a level above Andreas Perriera. But certainly cannot say he is a good signing yet. I guess we will see what he is up to when Bruno is unavailable due to whatever reasons and he takes up the spot.
He started against Everton in the league cup too, to be fair. Didn't do anything.
Starting to think he may be a bit of a Kagawa.
This popped up in my head tonight as well.
I think it’s fairly clear to now see why he’s not played all that much. I’m sure he’ll improve over time but his lack of game-time looks to be fully justified at present.
Average footballer
On first glimpse he looks like a 5 yard back to the player he's got it from/simple pass merchant.
But he made some incredible little touches that unlocked space for us.
Still has it all to prove but he has that class. It's whether he'll get in much with Bruno playing his ideal position.
But he made some incredible little touches that unlocked space for us.
Still has it all to prove but he has that class. It's whether he'll get in much with Bruno playing his ideal position.
No not doin it for me! Big disappointment. Knew something wasn't quite right. Obviously he's not impressed Ole on the training ground. Never did understand all the talk about him being bought to replace Pogba or it's too early to judge him, bla bla bla. At present he's not good enough. That's it!
He did alright but you have to do more than that to get into the starting eleven we have right now. Hope he keeps his head up and pushes for a starting spot.
I was impressed with him, one of the few players who were playing with a cool head and had the technical ability to not keep turning over cheap possession. He was good, he was playing as a CM for the most part and did it well.
His versatility is one of his strong points, and hopefully he can force his way in the team. I don't think a 10 is the position for him, he was never the creative force in the Ajax team, and he will not be the creative player we need to compete with Bruno, but he can be a good CM option.
His versatility is one of his strong points, and hopefully he can force his way in the team. I don't think a 10 is the position for him, he was never the creative force in the Ajax team, and he will not be the creative player we need to compete with Bruno, but he can be a good CM option.
Seriously this Watford team was shockingly bad. And still he couldn’t even get himself a memorable performance. All the excuses about bad players around him or played in the wrong role, it could be right. But he still needs to do a lot more. This is not a cheap academy player, but not close to be better than a 32 old Mata.
People who don't know what kind of player he is think he's shit. Fair enough, but it's not his fault that people expect the wrong thing from him.
He excels when his teammates find him for the combination play, like what he did with Mata tonight. But he was being ignored most of the time, so then it looks like he can only make safe passes sideways or backwards. The thing is that also does that when he starts his runs.
Short pass -> run -> shot/pass to player in better position.
Whe he's ignored is just a short pass.
Not sure what people want from him to be honest. Positionally and defensively he was exceptional and he kept the ball moving and was progressive in possession. It was a really sound central midfield performance. What else did people want?
Decent performance. Lovely backheel for Mata's big chance that was saved. Retains possession well but rarely tried anything ambitious.
Still looks like a back-up player to me at the moment.
Still looks like a back-up player to me at the moment.
I've been a bit hesitant on him but I thought he looked good tonight, he recycles possession well and his movement is very intelligent. He's definitely not as good as Pogba or Fernandes but I think he's a genuinely good squad option.
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100% he’s a great combination player and tonight there was Lingard, James, Greenwood, Mata and McTominay to combine with in midfield what did people expect.
There’s a good reason for that, he was played out of position until Matic came on.
Donny has always been an AM. He’s not a deep lying mid or a DM.
When Matic came on, he was able to replace Lingard and take on a more mobile role and push forward.
Thought he was the best of a bad bunch.
Just like PES 2021,we are a long passing team, he is a tiki taka player
Sounds like the mindset of a serial winner alright
He looks far, far better as a deeper mid. Not a holding mid of course, but definitely an 8. As a 10 he is generally invisible.
I agree somewhat, but feel a bit more ambition and aggression is needed from him in general if hes going to make him mark.
Looking at that lineup today, somebody like Bruno would know it was on him to make things happen and so would play with that kind of necessary incisiveness. DVB on the other hand seems happy to drift about playing pretty interchanges even when the players around him obviously aren't up to the task of making that style work. Much like Mata in that sense as many have said. It works well when you're surrounded by capable players, and flops horribly when those players are Lingard et al.
Overall (for me) he wasn't doing anything wrong per se, but he undoubtedly has much more in his locker, and needs to cut out his general timidity if hes to cement a spot in our starting xi.
Needs more games though of course. And much like fred, first season is far too early to write him off.
Same as everyone else in the line up, perform.
LVG would build a team around him. He's a very safe, disciplined, and otherwise unremarkable player.
Thought he did well as a functional midfielder. Not buying the usual narrative that he was too genius for everyone else. But don't think he hurt himself here. It wouldn't be ideal if Bruno got an injury obviously but if he did I would back Donny to have an impact
I honestly feel like this "his movement and passes are way too genius for other players to understand" is said a lot about Dutch players and I really don't know why. 
Seems it's some narrative that sticks with them. I remember similar discussions about Blind.
Seems it's some narrative that sticks with them. I remember similar discussions about Blind.It's pretentious.I honestly feel like this "his movement and passes are way too genius for other players to understand" is said a lot about Dutch players and I really don't know why.
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