Being much better than Donny isn't a guarantee of playing time when we know Ole has his favorites
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Didn't we think that about Sancho?
Under Ole, you need to have energy, determination to play CM and run around, not sure De Jong is any of that.
He is a more technical player who can control the midfield, pass well and progress the ball, complete opposite of what Ole likes.
Sancho is competing with Rashfordif we insist on playing him on the left. De Jong would be competing with Fred and McTominay and unlike Donny is actually a natural in an orthodox midfield role.
Donny's main problem is Bruno.
Oh right didn't realise Rashford plays 2 positions LW and RW.
Also, Rashford has only just got fit... he is 50% and goes in ahead of Sancho? Not really competing is it?
Look at the start of the season, James was starting on the RW.
The Sancho and Donny situations are not the same. Sancho started the season at less than optimal fitness, was making little impact on games while Greenwood has been productive from the right and Rashford made an impact as soon as he came back.
Sancho has to do more, can't put it all on the manager.
Absolutely as Sancho played in a structured team while Rashford is used to playing in a team that has no structure and its every player for himself. As for DVB, Ole never gave him a chance this season even though he has been good when he has got his very rare 10 mins of playing.
It's really pissing me off when I read how "underwhelmed" and "disappointed" we'll all inevitably be if and when Donny is ever allowed to play for United. Most of us watched him at Ajax and he was fantastic. No, not Zidane or Scholes fantastic, but well above anything we've ever seen from Fred or McTominay. And, I submit, the majority of performances we've seen from Pogba in a United short.
As for other current or former Ajax players, the point has been correctly made that they would be mad to even think about coming to United, at least as long as Ole is still manager.
As for other current or former Ajax players, the point has been correctly made that they would be mad to even think about coming to United, at least as long as Ole is still manager.
Fred or Mctominay would probably piss all over the dutch teams. Even Fellaini trashed Ajax in a cup final. Donny is an average player, sooner we accept that the sooner we can end all this mystique.
So all this post is based on assumption.
I would say that was based on anything but assumption. Donnie has done ok, and should probably been given more chances over Bruno. Somehow he is now this myth that not playing him is why we are struggling.People are even comparing him to mc’fred, although that is not his position at all..
As for the other golden boys of Ajax, he is spot on.
Fred and McTominay woudn't even be allowed in the training ground to watch Ajax train to learn how football is properly played.
Fellaini, I have to admit, would be an excellent kitman for Ajax.
Or maybe it would be better to just take advantage of the Barca situation and buy De Jong and link him back up with DVB again in midfield and get rid of Fred and McT.
And drop Bruno, because you surely could not play that pair as a 2 in the PL?
What role do we think Donny will make his own, I think the deepest lying role is a not an option and a club like Utd will always be able to find someone with more for the most attacking midfield role(despite it being his best role). So then he has to be a more orthodox midfielder who can control a game, provide box to box running at times, positional discipline at others and technical ability on the ball. He certainly has some elements of those, tidy touch and short passing ability, but not range from what I have seen, good energy levels but his natural instinct is to move into forward spaces, which at times takes him out of the game as a passing option.
I hope he gets his chance, an extended run, and hope more that those who are so positive about him are correct, but I just haven't seen it for Utd. He has shown a little more assertiveness in his cameo's this year but last he was a major disappointment to me, meek and ineffectual in his play, unwilling to take risk, negligible impact, tidy at times but people were rightly comparing him with Cleverley.
I'd play all of 3 of them, those guys as a 2 and operate the old one up/one back system when attacking, with both of them dropping in when defending. You could play a good possession based attacking game against at least 15 teams in the league.
I don't buy this whole idea that you have to have a 3 that consists of a specialised DM, a box to box CM and an AM. Have a guy that you'll drop in for the big games as a means to break up opposition attacks and drop Bruno or Donny for those games. Give Bruno a free role in front and reign in all his pointless chasing of the ball and let him be more focused on finding the pockets of space in the middle where he can do the most damage with his eye for a splitting pass and long shots.
If I had my way I’d have Rice (or similar) - DeJong - Donny
make use of the latter 2 having a good understanding
Bruno unbalances our midfield. Consider him a forward and our midfield would thrive
make use of the latter 2 having a good understanding
Bruno unbalances our midfield. Consider him a forward and our midfield would thrive
That is on the manager to sort out. Look at City with KDB and Bernado playing 8's. Bruno is almost given no instruction on where to play in games by the looks of it.
If Ole was strong enough, he would drop him when he does not follow instructions, automatically once he realises he needs to work harder for the team, he will start working to those instructions.
Its the same as the forwards, Rashford and Greenwood are poor off the ball and yet we keep seing them play most games.
I agree but then you'll have three actual forwards who all want to play in contention with him for two positions.
What midfield?
The idea of Rice, De Jong and another one is potentially very tasty, I think Bruno can play that role personally.
Fergie had Cole, yorke, sheringham and ole so
I wouldn’t worry about that as much
You're right i guess. At Ajax Ten Hag moved Ziyech from the most attacking midfield spot(10, but not a 10 like at United) to the right wing. Worked out perfectly. But i don't see that happening here with the a lot of good wingers here atm
Among other issues, Ole seems to have little control of his undroppable players like Bruno, who does what he wants and if he's not performing at an acceptable standard continues to get starts. This can be also be said of Maguire, Shaw, Wan-Bissaka, Pogba, Rashford and Greenwood -- of whom have been persistently poor for long stretches in the past but who can count on Ole starting them regardless of their form.
You don't want to drop a player after one or even two poor starts, but when a player is in poor form for 2 or 3 months straight the manager needs to respond with reaching into bench, which is actually very deep. It's a steep dropoff from peak Bruno to peak Donny or peak Jesse, but the reason we have Donny and Jesse is for depth. Ole can make a few changes, not wholesale changes, when a player is out of form and needs a physical or mental break, but he's too terrified of the reaction if his changes don't work out. All I can say to that is Ole needs a grow a pair and manage players who needs a break, as well as players who need the minutes. Running Bruno into the ground is poor management.
It's not about dropping players who are off form only. Rio said that SAF told Rooney and Scholes that he would drop them if they don't pass the ball to create chances for RVP.
None of our players are under that kind of pressure. Or he lets them do whatever they want.
None of our players are under that kind of pressure. Or he lets them do whatever they want.
Agreed.
Although the drop off between Bruno and Donny is steep, overplaying Bruno means we will go into the 2nd half of the season with 50% effective Bruno, we saw that at the end of last season as well.
It is up to the manager to make these changes. If you are making changes, you play players that can play together.
I.e Bruno and Rashford play together as they have a good relationship
When you rest Bruno, Donny and Sancho may be able to strike a partnership as they are more technical players, like the way Donny did with Mata?
Its up to the manager to find these combinations that work.
Ooh he’s so going to be banished to the shadow realm when we lose tomorrow.
All the media are saying Donny is going to start tomorrow. I hope so as Donny keeps the ball which stops the other team from counter-attacking
There's a part of that thinks he'll be given a start today, if only to address the criticism around his lack of opportunities.
He'll probably flatter to deceive due to a lack of football - Ole will then walk around with a whiff of "you wanted to see him play, I played him, he made no difference, I told you so" about him.
He'll probably flatter to deceive due to a lack of football - Ole will then walk around with a whiff of "you wanted to see him play, I played him, he made no difference, I told you so" about him.
Wouldn't surprise me, this is one of my biggest issues with Ole. Doesn't have a clue how to use his squad so his favourite players can consistently stink up the pitch without worry, injured players get rushed back and surprise surprise be poor, squad players barely get a chance so lack match fitness and thus flop..
Or.. He could just go and out and perform and make it hard for Ole to leave him out.
Last season he didn't do that, for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth, he didn't impact games, thus his opportunities dried up.
Last season he didn't do that, for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth, he didn't impact games, thus his opportunities dried up.
Would like to see him with Bruno and Fred in a 4-3-3.
Bruno—DvB—Fred
Sancho-Ronaldo-Martial
Bruno—DvB—Fred
Sancho-Ronaldo-Martial
That point would carry more weight if performances by both McTominay and Fred made them undroppable.
Exactly. Certain players currently have no consequence for their performance.
I was one saying, ‘he hasn’t done enough’ last season but when you look at some of the players that get a game regardless it simply isn’t fair to a sizeable number of the squad, VdB included.
Agreed, but how many matches did he start? Only 4 in the PL. It's hard to make an impact as a sub - especially when the team is not performing. DVB needs a run in the team to proper assess him.
I think what people are complaining about is that there are very few players performing to a level that justifies keeping DVB out.
Specially when you are given crumbs as a sub. 5-10mins is hardly enough to impress
Still doesn't play.
Also think the lack of playing time plays a big part in match fitness, some players can jump into games without playing for weeks but I imagine plenty need time to adjust to the intensity again, training games don't really compare.
I think if you were to throw some of our youth players that are playing week in week out, whether at youth level or on loan in a lower league into this side, they'd have more of an impact than some squad players who get virtually no game time.
Solskjaer is an utter cretin.
Ridiculous that McTominay starts over him again. Really should be Matic and Donny starting this game
Wow.
Ole has no clue does he
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