Donny van de Beek can count his lucky stars as he’s had one of the most fortuitous three-game starting runs at Man United in recent memory yet failed to make the best of the chances he had been gifted.
Despite that being the case, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes it does not make any sense for Van de Beek to leave on loan in the January transfer window.
Although Van de Beek had started in United’s last three matches his lame performances saw him substituted in all of them, earning the censure of his critics.
Occupying the playmaker role in each game, the 25-year-old could only manage 11 touches of the ball in the first-half of the League Cup win over Aston Villa – even fewer than goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The assumption had been that the Netherlands international would regain form under his former Dutch compatriot whom he had trained under at Ajax but Van de Beek has failed to make the most of his chances.
“I don’t think the loan makes sense,” Ten Hag said. “It’s either he fights and proves himself in this environment or he goes, but for me, there is still a way for him.
“But it’s not going to be easy for him because the competition there is really strong.”
Van de Beek has also noticeably not been included in any of Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands squads since the former United manager replaced Frank de Boer as coach 15 months ago.
There has been an increasing belief he is not suited to the tempo of the Premier League despite him being contracted to United until 2025 and Ten Hag understands that viewpoint.
“I see the opinion but when I watch back the performance in Sociedad and also Villa, he is there in the positions I expect a 10 has to do,” Ten Hag added. “And nowadays, it is difficult for a 10 to really show themselves.
“We have the romantic idea of the No.10 as a playmaker giving the final passes, that they have to play in the middle of the park. But it is difficult there because nowadays all the good teams close the middle of the park, so it is really difficult to get a lot of ball touches.
“So that is also not the player who Donny van de Beek is but what he is doing well is his positioning and his movement together with the strikers, especially with the No.9, that combination, he is really good in positioning and anticipation in and out of possession, he did that to my satisfaction in the last games.
“But I have seen he is not on the scoring list, he is not on the assist list and he can do better. He is still not there on his limits, I have seen him better in the past, definitely. But I think positioning wise he is acting quite well.
“But he has to make that step with pace and intensity.”