08 Sep 2021 04:03:22
For the people who say VDB is not good enough and he's all hype, here are some stats from his time at Ajax:

In all competitions all seasons:

175 Apps 41 Goals 34 Assists

CM - 90 Apps 22 Goals 13 Assists
AM - 68 Apps 18 Goals 19 Assists
DM 14 Apps 1 Goal 2 Assists

Last 3 seasons:

2019/ 20 - 37 Apps 10 Goals 11 Assists

CM - 18 Apps 7 Goals 3 Assists
AM - 19 Apps 3 Goals 8 Assists

2018/ 19 - 57 Apps 17 Goals 13 Assists

CM - 9 Apps 2 Goals 2 Assists
AM - 48 Apps 15 Goals 11 Assists

2017/ 18 - 39 Apps 13 Goals 6 Assists

CM - 34 Apps 13 Goals 4 Assists
DM - 4 Apps 2 Assists


It's clear he's been consistently involved in the goals for the team over the seasons and mind you he doesn't have the penalties to boost his tally.

Whatever the reasons for him not being played by Ole, it's clear there is a player in there and it's up to the manager to get the best out of him.

Especially looking at our midfield options, VDB needs to be fast tracked into the first team picture but I am not sure Ole and his coaching staff are up for it.

There's no point keeping him if you are hesitant or doubtful about his abilities while our other midfielders are getting away with average performances time and again and still he's not given a chance.

1.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 07:49:15
Everyone fan knows that VdB has been unfairly treated to a point of almost mocking him with the occasional 3 min left sub appearance from the bench.

I think the OGS was coerced into the signing of VDB. He has almost been frozen out when players around him have been very poor.

Pogba has been very poor. December 2020 saw him perform much better. Yet prior to this, he was given ample amount of game time when there wasn't a case for justifying his inclusion in the starting 11.

A think VdB will. perhaos get a loan move in January or sold next summer. You can't but help feel sorry for the lad.

2.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 08:33:52
It is ridiculous how little game time Van De Beek has been given especially with the competition in those midfield spots.

We will probably never know how good he could be in the pivot at United as he will likely not be given a run of games there. However, for what it's worth, having a player who constantly offers and option and isn't afraid to take the ball in tight spaces isn't a bad thing. Particularly when we seem so determined to play out from the back.

Clearly Ole values energy and the ability to run above the ability to keep possession, it's why the like of Dan James and Fred were / are given so much game time over players who are far better technically.

3.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 10:31:28
It's a tricky one. Donny has proven himself to be one of the best players in the Eredivisie. However, players like Alfonso Alves and Mateja Kezman also proved themselves in the Netherlands but never lived up to that in the EPL.

I think what Donny has said in the interview with Rio is very interesting and puts to bed this idea that he can only play as a No.10.

Ajax make all their players play every position while in their academy to create well rounded players. So he knows what is needed and how to play in every position. He is a very intelligent player as seen by how eloquently and intelligently he spoke during that interview.

He also made a great point when he said his best position for Ajax in their system might be different to his best position for United in our system.

Personally I think his best position for us is in the No.8 role where he has the freedom to play box to box, he has the discipline and intelligence to know when to break forward and when to stay deep. His ability to find space will give us a better play to play though the press, while when he does break forward to be the extra man he has the attacking instincts to play killer passes and find the back of the net himself.

Whether he'll get a chance in that rolesremains to be seen.

4.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 11:46:45
Not sure where you've gotten the stats to prove in which position they were achieved but either you must have watched every single Ajax game he was involved in or they're just plucked from the internet. The Ajax model in midfield atleast from what I have seen, is very interchangeable so I think it would be very difficult to pinpoint at which position they came from. Starting berth doesn't tend to mean much these days with the fluidity of some formations.

His stats are great, however this has been in the Dutch league. There is of course a step up to the premier league.

I am baffled though, cannot possibly be worse than Fred.

5.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 11:59:47
Point of view from a rival. Van De Beek deserves the chance to at least make a case for himself rather than be shafted by Ole as he can't be much worse than Fred etc.

Shappy - sorry you use Alfonso Alves and Kezman as examples to beat Donny with but on the oppoiste side forget about all the players that have done well after joining from the Eredivise such as Suarez, Van Nistelrooy, Van Persie, Kuyt to name a few. You can't compare a player from the country/ league he comes from because if you did that then you can name flops from every other league too.

6.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 13:04:31
Ox in a Box, I'm not using Alves as a stick to beat Donny. I actually really like Donny and even said I'd prefer him over Grealish last summer when we were linked to both.

I want Donny to do well, I think he has the skillset to do well. I was just merely pointing out that stats achieved in a the much weaker less physically demanding and slower paced Eredivisie don't necessarily translate over to equal performances in the EPL.

Obviously there are success stories from the Netherlands to the EPL, otherwise no one would sign players from there.

With Donny he has had at best mixed performances for us. He was excellent against Wolves on the last day of last season, but before that he did very little in either the games he started or his minutes as a sub to demand he start the next game.

I think Donny himself recognises that he needed to adapt and do more and that is why he spent time over the summer improving his physique and making himself strong and more durable so that he can handle the rough and tough of the heart of midfield in the EPL.

Hopefully this season he gets the chance to prove himself and gets a run of games. Once/ if he gets that chance though it will be down to him to prove he should be starting the next game. I don't agree with giving a player, any player, 4-5 games regardless of performances to try and play their way into form.

If you get a chance then it's down to you to prove you deserve to play the next game. If you play poorly then you need/ deserve to be dropped.

I don't agree with people saying Fred should be dropped for a poor performance but that Donny should be given multiple passes on poor performances to play his way into form.

7.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 14:48:10
Shappy, how long has Fred been here compared to Donny?

If you are willing to keep playing a player who's given plenty of games and yet gives average performances consistently then Donny certainly deserves more opportunities to gain confidence and form.

8.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 15:26:20
LPU in the same scenario kindly post the stats of the following

Alexis at Arsenal
Kagawa at BVB
Kezman at PSV
Mhki at BVB
Falcoa at Monaco

I can go on and on. I am not saying VDB is not good enough. Just saying that posting such Stats can be misleading.

9.) 08 Sep 2021
08 Sep 2021 16:48:15
LPU, I'd love to see Donny get more game time. But bar the last game of the season against a half arsed Wolves or a pre-season friendly against Everton can you name a game where Donny has played and you thought he played well and deserved to start the next game?

10.) 09 Sep 2021
09 Sep 2021 03:01:38
Shappy, coming in from a "much weaker less physically demanding and slower paced Eredivisie" and you expect Donny to straight away prove himself being in and out of the team all the time, in fact spending more time on the bench. How well do you think Fred and Martial did to deserve opportunities in the team consistently?

We just will never know if Donny would be good enough or not if he's not afforded enough opportunities on the pitch on a consistent basis. Putting him in meaningless games or bringing him on in the final few minutes and that too once in a while is not of much help to build up confidence and momentum.

Looking at the stats there is definitely a player in there and he needs to be better utilized by the manager especially considering his other options in the midfield.

11.) 09 Sep 2021
09 Sep 2021 12:16:40
If Donny was doing it in training he’d get picked. Managers pick the teams to win matches, not their mates. I’m sure the coaches are telling him what he needs to do to get a game. If he’s not responding to that then move him on. Any of them.