Donny Van De Beek

To be honest, he can come good this season and still have been badly managed last season.

I just don’t think he was integrated into the team well - he was often hooked when playing positively and it felt at times that ole was stamping out his confidence at the times I felt he was actually growing into the game and contributing more. It’s was very disruptive management if we don’t like the word ‘bad’.

He’s a player on Bruno’s wavelength - short one touch stuff creating space - in the de bruyne mode believe it or not. Watch how he played at Ajax. If anything, I think our pedestrian Hollywood Pogba ball playing midfield is less suited to his strengths and it’s on Ole to define what exactly he wants that midfield to operate because I’m not sure the midfield currently knows.

Look at his physique

He looks like he has a summer-long montage, running up the fire-station steps in stalybridge, bench pressing Mini Coopers, chasing chickens.

I just hope he threw a bit of the darker martial arts into the mix - five finger kidney death stabs and the like

Don’t be fooled by his new physique
He’s still, he’s still Donny Van De Beek.

Originally Posted by My Name is Heath

Don’t be fooled by his new physique
He’s still, he’s still Donny Van De Beek.

Don't be fooled by his
new physique - He is still
Donny Van De Beek

Haiku reds

Prior to him joining United, my only previous reference point for Van de Beek was Ajax's Champions League run in 2019. Particularly I remember the talk being about De Jong and De Ligt during their win at the Bernabeu, but Donny stood out to me more than both of them.

He seemed to be their most advanced player at times, and didn't give their defence a second. At other times he was coming deep to get the ball. Obviously there's cases where players raise their game on certain occasions (Tuazebe vs. PSG comes to mind), but he looked a different player to the one I saw at United last season.

Most of the time, I wasn't really that impressed with what I saw from him when he did come into the side, but he was often coming into the games he started having played the last 3 minutes of the previous few matches. I don't think many players would have been effective in that situation.

In terms of the management, I think Ole was spooked after we got 7 points from the first 6 league games, and once we hit on a winning formula (29 points in the next 11) he didn't want to deviate from it. The first half against West Ham (when he tried to rest Bruno & Rashford) seemed to further cemented that position.

That worked well during the run that took us top of the table, but you could argue worked against us later on when we could've done with a few more players who were match sharp.

With the squad being stronger this season (and hopefully strengthen further), we have to make better use the of the players not considered to be part of our strongest XI. I can't see any excuse for a bad start this season, and as such there shouldn't be the instant pressure that there was after the mess that was the start of last season.

If the rumours about someone like Neves coming in are true, I do hope that means more of a chance for Van de Beek to start alongside Fernandes rather than coming in for him. If Pogba leaves, he should get plenty of game time and I reckon he'll have a good season.

Originally Posted by 20LEgend1999

Prior to him joining United, my only previous reference point for Van de Beek was Ajax's Champions League run in 2019. Particularly I remember the talk being about De Jong and De Ligt during their win at the Bernabeu, but Donny stood out to me more than both of them.

He seemed to be their most advanced player at times, and didn't give their defence a second. At other times he was coming deep to get the ball. Obviously there's cases where players raise their game on certain occasions (Tuazebe vs. PSG comes to mind), but he looked a different player to the one I saw at United last season.

Most of the time, I wasn't really that impressed with what I saw from him when he did come into the side, but he was often coming into the games he started having played the last 3 minutes of the previous few matches. I don't think many players would have been effective in that situation.

In terms of the management, I think Ole was spooked after we got 7 points from the first 6 league games, and once we hit on a winning formula (29 points in the next 11) he didn't want to deviate from it. The first half against West Ham (when he tried to rest Bruno & Rashford) seemed to further cemented that position.

That worked well during the run that took us top of the table, but you could argue worked against us later on when we could've done with a few more players who were match sharp.

With the squad being stronger this season (and hopefully strengthen further), we have to make better use the of the players not considered to be part of our strongest XI. I can't see any excuse for a bad start this season, and as such there shouldn't be the instant pressure that there was after the mess that was the start of last season.

If the rumours about someone like Neves coming in are true, I do hope that means more of a chance for Van de Beek to start alongside Fernandes rather than coming in for him. If Pogba leaves, he should get plenty of game time and I reckon he'll have a good season.

De gea, maguire, varane, shaw, Fred, The Scottish Player, rashford, martial,cavani,bruno,pogba , lindelof . All injured/have had no preason. One week is not enough , especially compared to what happened last year. Doesn’t help the Preston game got cancelled.

I’m fully expecting a slow start. He will half to play a mix of first XI and players who have played 3 games preason in the last month.

Think lingard, Greenwood, matic, elanga will be starting. Scary thing is the CBs in preason have been shocking. Do you play both CBs who have had no preason and fitness build up or play one of tuanzebe /Mengi who look like a liability against championship teams.

Hopefully between now and the season starting they get a couple of closed door games but I think it’s naive to expect to a good start considering 90% of our first 18 have had no proper preseason.

Even shaws back up in telles has been injured. We are having to play 3rd choice LB and probably a 5th choice CB

I hope VDB starts , reckon he has a chance considering the above. Give him a run of games and see what he can do

Originally Posted by Drexl

Don't be fooled by his
new physique - He is still
Donny Van De Beek

Haiku reds

Heath's more of J Lo Red.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

Heath's more of J Lo Red.

he was singing it into his hairbrush, wasn't he? And here I was, thinking he was injecting a bit of culture

looking forward to watching him get a run in the team

Originally Posted by 20LEgend1999

Prior to him joining United, my only previous reference point for Van de Beek was Ajax's Champions League run in 2019. Particularly I remember the talk being about De Jong and De Ligt during their win at the Bernabeu, but Donny stood out to me more than both of them.

He seemed to be their most advanced player at times, and didn't give their defence a second. At other times he was coming deep to get the ball. Obviously there's cases where players raise their game on certain occasions (Tuazebe vs. PSG comes to mind), but he looked a different player to the one I saw at United last season.

Most of the time, I wasn't really that impressed with what I saw from him when he did come into the side, but he was often coming into the games he started having played the last 3 minutes of the previous few matches. I don't think many players would have been effective in that situation.

In terms of the management, I think Ole was spooked after we got 7 points from the first 6 league games, and once we hit on a winning formula (29 points in the next 11) he didn't want to deviate from it. The first half against West Ham (when he tried to rest Bruno & Rashford) seemed to further cemented that position.

That worked well during the run that took us top of the table, but you could argue worked against us later on when we could've done with a few more players who were match sharp.

With the squad being stronger this season (and hopefully strengthen further), we have to make better use the of the players not considered to be part of our strongest XI. I can't see any excuse for a bad start this season, and as such there shouldn't be the instant pressure that there was after the mess that was the start of last season.

If the rumours about someone like Neves coming in are true, I do hope that means more of a chance for Van de Beek to start alongside Fernandes rather than coming in for him. If Pogba leaves, he should get plenty of game time and I reckon he'll have a good season.

Agree with all of that. But I’m not sure we’ll get off to a massively strong start this time - our euro campaign and then the euros could well mess that up (again).

Others top teams (and city) in the same boat tbf.

Originally Posted by Hyman_Roth

Agree with all of that. But I’m not sure we’ll get off to a massively strong start this time - our euro campaign and then the euros could well mess that up (again).

Others top teams (and city) in the same boat tbf.

Yes, might just be a while before we get a clear front runner (or even -ers) this time round.

Mark my words.

He is shit. A nothing player that will have a similarly poor season.

he doesn’t have anything special about his game and won’t make a mark on any games.
to think he has can have the sort of impact pogba has on the team is laughable.

he won’t be in the team at all by November and the excuses will start once again.

Last time I marked your words, you were saying we'd finish in the bottom half with Solskjaer as manager.

Originally Posted by 20LEgend1999

Last time I marked your words, you were saying we'd finish in the bottom half with Solskjaer as manager.

Don’t think I’ve ever argued with Marls as I've always assumed everything he said was a reverse curse wum type thing. Basically, the polar opposite of what he says always tends to happen.

Biggest compliment Beekers could have is Marl’s claiming he’s shit. Meanwhile Pogba’s an outstanding world class player according to the great man.

Love Marls tbh

Originally Posted by marlo

Mark my words.

He is shit. A nothing player that will have a similarly poor season.

he doesn’t have anything special about his game and won’t make a mark on any games.
to think he has can have the sort of impact pogba has on the team is laughable.

he won’t be in the team at all by November and the excuses will start once again.

After which run of games are you basing this off?

The last run of games he had was when he won the league with Ajax..

Originally Posted by 20LEgend1999

Last time I marked your words, you were saying we'd finish in the bottom half with Solskjaer as manager.

2nd is the bottom half.

Originally Posted by ScarFace

2nd is the bottom half.

Clearly maths isn’t your strong suit

Originally Posted by ScarFace

2nd is the bottom half.

This is not the.........normally accepted meaning of the term.

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Clearly maths isn’t your strong suit

Clearly you're not a golfer

This guy was a MOTM in a cl semi final.

Stop the disrespect and give him a proper run in the side now.

Lingard coming on before him....