Wait, is he actually still here? I though he had already left ages ago. I'm not joking.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 10
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
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- Yellow cards
- 0
- Status
How did you even think that? I'm not joking
You’d hope we’d be ruthless with guys like VdB this summer and at least try shift him on. He’s plainly not good enough and/or the club is just too big for him. If you haven’t been able to make it happen within 3 years, it’s for the best to go and try your luck elsewhere.
I don't remember the last time he played for us, seriously. What was his last game ?
Bournemouth in league
You do realise he got a bad injury right?
No, I don't even remember.
Season ending injury hence why you haven’t seen him
Although, without meaning to be unkind, even when he was playing he was usually barely noticeable.
He will still be at Utd next season, only because of his injury. Can see him leaving in jan window or next summer.
He will likely become available on loan at subsidised wages. He will need to get game time to find his form and fitness and he ain’t gonna get it here. Every year he sits on our bench his confidence and market value plummet.
I daresay we would have more threat playing him instead of Wout
This thread makes me think less of our fanbase.
I've got my doubts, personally.
In what way?
They way people talk about Donny. Like him or dislike him, he's done literally nothing wrong at United. He was brought in against the managers wishes, never got to play, was loaned out, came back, still barely got to play, got a serious injury, and people talk about him like he's awful, he's one of our worst signings ever, there are people that almost seem happy he got hurt. He's never even had a proper shot, why do people have such strong feelings over a player that's done nothing wrong, seems like a good guy, and has probably been pretty fecked over by this club, or our previous manager, however you look at it.
Because our fan base are now now now types. Ironically I thought he was starting to like lay with a little more confidence under ETH until his injury. I wonder could he have turned it around like he’s done for AWB
Though I agree that fans talking negatively about him is weird he wasn't bought against the managers wishes:
https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...ball-news/solskjaer-told-van-de-beek-18871580
Yeah, it rubs me the wrong way as well. Modern fans, I suppose.
Yeh thats a scenario, also depends on our numbers at start of season and how many injuries we have. Youd have thought if anyone can get donny to play at a high level again it would be ETH.
People love to create these narratives. Which is especially weird considering this is United, where transfers tend to be almost exclusively at the whims of the manager.
Often managers have their mini fan bases and then transfers that don't work out are forced on them but those that do were their own doing...
What a signing he's been.
The only ever thing I thought he was meant to be was a decent backup for Bruno. Under Ole we were screwed if Brino got injured or burnt out as we had no other player who could take up the same positions. Ole proceeds to totally run Bruno into the ground and never give Donny a chance in the position he’s best in. We’ve occasionally tried him deeper and he’s been poor, lightweight and not adventurous enough. In attacking areas he seems to find it difficult too. Poor on loan at Everton I’d be selling asap. Get the wages off the books take the hit and give the place to someone who can boost the quality of the first team. We don’t need all these filler players.
I doubt it. This just isn’t his level. ETH had him for 7 months before his injury and barely used him. He was bottom in the pecking order of midfielders.
Donny has until January basically. I can see him being in and around the match day squads until that point, of he contributes then he will stay, if not then probably a sale in January.
He wasn't Ole's first choice (which was Grealish), but there's absolutely nothing to indicate that VDB was bought in against his wishes. He hasn't played much because he's been very poor almost every time he has played. There was a brief period towards the end of his first season and beginning of his second season where he started looking a bit more promising, but the fact he's done absolutely nothing both before and after that period (including during his loan to Everton) shows that he just wasn't anywhere near good enough.
Considering how much we spent on him and how poor he has been, I don't know how he can't be talked about amongst our worst ever signings. Not actually our worst (which has to be Sanchez), but he'd be up there. Nothing personal against him and I wish him all the best for the future, but his signing has obviously been a huge failure.
I think the signings made before EtH were often confused, probably committee led, compromises and not always helpful to the managers.
Ole might not have vetoed Donny but it often happened that the manager would say “we need a midfielder” and the board would say “we got you something better - Ronaldo!” or some shit. Can you get me Grealish? “No but, wait for it, I give you Donny Fecking Beek! You’re fecking welcome, sunshine.”
I don’t know. All managers have to take what they can get and make it work but it really seems like we had the wrong guys making crucial recruitment decisions for many, many years.
All he needs is a system he can thrive in .... Right?
Who?
Absolutely correct, but it's important to understand that the player who stood in Donny's way has been Bruno, a player who not only never goes down with injury he seems to get stronger as the game goes on. Apart from stoppage time, I don't recall Bruno even being subbed off for tactical reasons or fatigue.
Donny is just not a CDM and he just doesn't have the engine for an 8 role other than in mop up situations. With the arrival of Mason Mount any lingering hope Donny might have had in evolving into an 8 will be gone (as I understand MM is not a done deal yet). But as cover for Bruno he can still do a job, although anyone who serves as cover for Bruno should expect to spend most of the season on the bench.
Hindsight 20/20 and all that but JLingz is a better player than he is. Should've just stuck with him instead of going and buying a new player.
It could work in Donny's favour though.
Right now he is either behind Bruno for one spot in the advanced midfield position, but he is also the 5th option as an emergency in the double pivot and even then he might be 6th choice behind Mainoo.
This way, if you take into account the profile of the role EtH will want, he now finds himself as a legitimate 3rd or 4th option, you would assume Bruno and Mount start, Eriksen is first sub but then I think for the role as advertised, you then go with DvB rather than Fred or McTominay. It isn't a HUGE jump but it should get him some sub appearances and starts in cup games which is more than he can hope for using the current shape.
I think that's right. The stats might not back me up on this, but my perception is that ETH didn't rotate/sub very much this season, but if we do strengthen the squad over the summer and actually have a squad that can challenge for the PL title next summer I suspect we will see a lot more rotation especially in midfield. Bruno will still only be 29, but 29 is a bit different than 26. Casemiro will be 32 in February. Fred will be 30. We already know Eriksen is slowing down. McTominay will be gone. Mason and Donny will be the kids in their mid 20s. Mainoo will still only be a teenager but surely he'll be an apprentice at most next season. There are minutes to be had there, but Donny has to seize the chance in cup games and run with those chances and not wait for the game to come to him.
Aside from Casemiro he is by far our best midfielder. ETH knows how to get the best out of him and if ETH stays on as manager, I would like Donny to be given at least another season or 2 to prove himself. Still young enough to get 4-5 world-class years out of him.
What on earth...?! He is a ghost man that wafts around the field contributing nothing aside from serving as a surface for other players to play one twos off.
Based on what? Do you have the ability to jump between parallell timelines? And can you teach me how?
He came 28th in the Ballon d'Or rankings back in 2019 at the age of 22.
@Alfie092 is on a bit of a wum today. A few opinions of his from the last two hours:
- Rather get rid of Lindelof than Maguire
- DvB is our best midfielder besides Casemiro
- DDG is a better bet for us than Diogo Costa
- We're better with Sancho in the side
- ETH is 'not the manager we thought he would be' and has a weak mindset
- Rather get rid of Lindelof than Maguire
- DvB is our best midfielder besides Casemiro
- DDG is a better bet for us than Diogo Costa
- We're better with Sancho in the side
- ETH is 'not the manager we thought he would be' and has a weak mindset
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