Another rain check leaves Van De Beek feeling hard Don by
HAD Donny van de Beek chosen to remain at Ajax this summer, he would have enjoyed himself this weekend.
The chances are he would have been part of the Dutch side’s remarkable 13-0 win over VVV-Venlo in the Eredivisie.
Considering Ajax had
45 shots on goal, he might have even helped himself to one of them.
Instead, Van de Beek,
23, spent his Saturday night sheltering from the rain at Old Trafford in his tracksuit.
If that wasn’t bad enough, he also had to watch one of the worst games of football he’s probably ever seen.
It wasn’t too long ago that clashes between Manchester United and Chelsea used to be the pinnacle of the Premier League season.
But times have changed so much that this 2020 version resembled more of a testimonial for Spanish veteran Juan Mata than a showdown between two footballing goliaths.
Which sort of made the fact Van De Beek was not even deemed good enough to be part of the whole shambles even more baffling.
During the process of signing the Dutch ace in a £40million deal, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the trouble to ring Van De Beek to sell him on the idea of what joining the English giants would do for his career.
It’s safe to assume part of the charm offensive didn’t include telling him he wouldn’t start any of United’s first five league games of the season, but he’d get a run out at Luton in the Carabao Cup. Van De Beek has started more games for Holland this season than he has for his club.
Even the fact Paul Pogba has been dropped hasn’t made a jot of difference to the attacking midfielder’s chances of being given the chance to show people what he can do.
It didn’t say much for Van De Beek’s immediate prospects that Solskjaer chose to put his faith in Mata and Dan James for the visit of Frank Lampard’s men.
Mata is 32 and in the twilight of his career, while James’ form has been so disappointing that he looks incapable of beating an egg, let alone a defender.
He is not good enough at this level.
Then there was Fred, the master of the lateral pass who got himself in such a pickle in the first half he almost gifted an opening goal to the visitors.
He might be Brazilian, but he’s no Rivellino.
Mata and James failed to last an hour before being hooked by Solskjaer.
But the United boss called for Pogba instead of Van De Beek, despite the fact he is struggling to even trust the French flop.
Van De Beek took himself off to warm up in the corner for something to do as the weather continued to be biblical.
Which was ironic, because it looks like the midfielder needs some divine intervention if his United career is to avoid feeling like it’s becoming a bit of a washout.