Although for the moment still looking peripheral at Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may need to start using midfielder Donny van de Beek in games similar to the recent Sunday’s.<\/p>\n
Early in the new season and it\u2019s again looking like a case of Deja Vu for the Dutchman at Manchester United as he was yet again confined to the bench in Sunday\u2019s 1-1 draw with Southampton.<\/p>\n
Not having played a single minute of United\u2019s two opening league fixtures, the former Ajax player looks set to endure another frustrating campaign on the sidelines.<\/p>\n
Besides having rarely featured since last summer\u2019s \u00a335million move and started just four league matches last season, hee was even robbed of regular minutes for the Netherlands national side at Euro 2020 as a result of an injury sustained on the eve of the tournament.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old will obviously be desperate to get more game time, but it seems opportunities are set to be rare for the young Dutchman although Solskjaer has given the assurance to the Dutch midfielder that he remains in his plans, stating in his post-match conference following Sunday\u2019s draw:<\/p>\n
“I thought Nemanja [Matic] was excellent, Antho [Martial] was close to scoring a goal but Jadon and Donny will be important for us.”<\/p>\n
Regardless of whether those comments are sincere, or just made in an attempt to raise the waning spirit of Van de Beek, Sunday\u2019s display on the south coast was a reminder that there could well be a role for a profile such as the Dutch midfielder\u2019s\u00a0in the current United squad as the squad\u2019s attack largely comprises maverick and individualist profiles of players like Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood, all individually attempting plenty of ball carries, dribbles, shots and high-risk passes.<\/p>\n
From an observational viewpoint, it wouldn\u2019t be unfair to say that the Red Devils\u00a0could do with a more neat approach with a tidier technical attacker higher up the pitch. Someone more cautious and less inclined to take risks, instead working hard to link play, sustain attacks and help carve a defence open.<\/p>\n
Having been filtered through the ranks at Ajax, Van de Beek\u2019s \u2018total football\u2019 education makes him well-versed in the fundamentals of playing such a role.<\/p>\n
Neat and tidy in possession, rarely taking more than one or two touches on the ball and instead focuses more on clever movement and dropping into good attacking areas to link play with fellow attackers players around him.<\/p>\n
This can be crucial in terms of having good quick tempo possession inside the attacking third, which can, in turn, help disrupt a defensive shape, creating spaces for lethal attackers such as Sancho and Greenwood in dangerous areas.<\/p>\n
Also, a role like this tends to be less attention-grabbing, which could be why the bulk of Van de Beek\u2019s United performances have seemed largely forgettable to the less discerning fans so far.<\/p>\n
However, given the opportunity, he can still be a crucial player with the right skillsets when United need more than just a maverick player\u2019s individual brilliance to break down a stubborn defensive unit.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"