It’s a shame it didn’t work out for Donny. Since his stint here will be dominated by the memory of him disappearing completely the last few seasons, and probably setting dome sort of record for relative decline of transfer fee coming and going if you leave out free transfers, I’ll draw up the memory of some of his first games for United. At times he did show the quality he had become known for at Ajax, if only in glimpses. He showed quick and progressive passing, intense movement around the box, willingness and ability to come into the box and providing overloads and options. There were games where you could see what he could bring to the team if used well. That player was an entertaining and very likeable player.
Van de Beek will feel hard done by being brought (possibly unwanted) to a manager he was not ideal for in terms of skill profile. He was unlucky with a few injuries. At the same time, I can’t agree with anyone claiming he didn’t get enough chances at United. He should be a good fit stylistically for Rangnick, and he had the total luck of United bringing to him the coach who had made the best ise of him ever before. Yet he could not convince either of them to play him in half as many games as Solskjær gave him in spite of having options really more suited to his game. If he couldn’t convince Ten Hag through two years of training to give him an extended run, this clearly wasn’t for him, which his loans also showed.
Wether it was injuries or confidence or both, he leaves as a lesser player than he came as, and I won’t hold that against him, but rather wish him the best of luck with retrieving his carreer at Girona. Chin up, Donny!
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Read it as Genoa