The [non] use of Van de Beek - Ole's player?

Oo0AahCantona

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I feel like he was purchased as a backup to pogba if he doesnt sign a new deal. He is getting 0 gametime.
 

cyberman

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He was bought for depth and we havent needed him yet. We are hardly going to bring off Bruno when looking for a goal
 

ReallyUSA

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I don't see how people don't see Ole never wanted him. Midfield is overly stacked, regardless of your feelings towards which players. Maybe next year when Pogba gets the feck out would've made sense.
 

DWelbz19

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We also needed the depth. You've seen the difference Bruno has made. If Bruno gets injured then what? VDB wil get his games but when Bruno is playing he won't be playing against a side like Chelsea when the squad is at good health.
I agree, no denying that, but I personally think the main reason was the above — I.E. non footballing reasons. There was and is clearly logic in the signing, but you typically don’t sign depth players (especially for £40m during a pandemic) when you have glaring weaknesses in the XI already that need to be dealt with first. Rather, in our case, at the cost of those transfers.
 

Castia

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An Ed signing :houllier: Jesus what absolute nonsense.
Sounds ridiculous but not as ridiculous as signing a £40m player and him not getting anywhere near the starting 11. We aren‘t in a position to blow the majority of our transfer budget on a 5th choice midfielder.
 

TheDoc

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I think it's weird to use Pogba as an impact-sub rather than Donny. He's shown so much drive and commitment the times he's been brought on, helped change the match with his involvements pretty much, while with Pogba... Well Pogba's Pogba.
 

Castia

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I don't see how people don't see Ole never wanted him. Midfield is overly stacked, regardless of your feelings towards which players. Maybe next year when Pogba gets the feck out would've made sense.

You have to wonder why we signed him if the midfield is stacked though.
 

Classical Mechanic

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A panic buy a good few weeks before deadline day?

Lord give me strength
We wanted Grealish but he was too expensive so Woody went for a guy with a name at a reasonable price. He just doesn’t fit into the squad and that’s why he’s on the bench.The only way this could be seen as having any foresight is that we’ve bought him in anticipation of Pogba leaving next summer.
 

oreon

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Could have added 15 mil to the Donny fee and gotten Upacameno. Why buy him if you're not gonna play him especially when CB was a higher priority. Makes no sense
 

Snow

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I agree, no denying that, but I personally think the main reason was the above — I.E. non footballing reasons. There was and is clearly logic in the signing, but you typically don’t sign depth players (especially for £40m during a pandemic) when you have glaring weaknesses in the XI already that need to be dealt with first. Rather, in our case, at the cost of those transfers.
Yeah but our people in charge of transfers aren't typical. From Ole's, the fans' and the players' perspective they failed at every opportunity in the market.
 

Anustart89

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He probably would've been subbed on if we hadn't thrown one sub in the bin by starting Dan James.
 

ReallyUSA

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You have to wonder why we signed him if the midfield is stacked though.
Because the board is clueless, and opted to sign someone not needed to appease the fans. However, now the blame is not on them, it's on a coach who was asking for a fecking winger.
 

Dan_F

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Last season we cried about not having a strong enough squad. We signed a few players then start asking why all of our players aren’t starting.

He’s not going to start as one of the midfield two against higher quality opposition. Maybe he could have played instead of James, but even then, Pogba is a better player in that position.

It’s unfortunate we’ve got so many hard games in a row, but Ole needs to rest Bruno/Rashford at some point over the next two weeks.
 

::sonny::

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He uses always the same 13/14 players + late subs and slow reading of the game, definitely one of the worst managers in professional football
 

Caius

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Been disappointed with his lack of playing time, hoping he gets more game time against weaker PL sides as he is a threat from the midfield to both create and score. Not sure if he and Bruno together works or if they'll take up the same positions, but against weaker teams I think it's worth trying.
 

Fortitude

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We're four league games into the season. He's competing with Bruno for the attacking midfield spot. Possibly also for a deeper midfield slot, but we're currently playing Fred and McTominay to give us some defensive solidarity after a horror defensive start to the season.

He'll get opportunities as the season progresses, and it'll be up to him to impress enough to then push for more.
I don't think that's the big issue, moreso his minutes from the bench.
 

spiriticon

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We signed him for squad depth and that's exactly what's he is doing. Being squad depth.

He's not going to play regularly unless Bruno is injured because Bruno is key, and it's too early in the season to give Bruno a break.

I don't see him as a dynamic defensive mid so he will not be rotating with Fred or McT.
 

Dec9003

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I think if not for Matas form leading up to the match today he’d have been playing, or Pogba would and he’d have come on. We do actually have decent options in the attack right now so someone is bound to miss out, hopefully he proves his quality over the season and gets himself into the team.
 

Leftback99

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We've not really had chance. Games haven't played out where we're able to give him minutes. Fred and McTominay have rightly earned their place as starters.
 

CM10

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I think Pogba changing roles has played into it a bit. I don't think Solskjaer trusts him in a deeper position atm and it has swallowed up van de Beek's minutes.

I think he'll be fine in the long run but he'll have to be patient.
 

Smores

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I can understand why he's gone back to the McFred combo as he knows what it will deliver. Hopefully we start to integrate him into the team quickly though as he's better than others on the pitch.
 

Irwin99

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Similar to Jose's use of Fred and Mkhitaryan when they signed. I'm sure he will get a lot of games eventually, though not really sure where he fits in the team currently. If Ole likes his counter attack built on a base of two defensive midfielders then he's probably going to pick Matic, Fred, McTom and give the advanced 8/10 role to either Pogba or Bruno.
 

Castia

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We signed him for squad depth and that's exactly what's he is doing. Being squad depth.

He's not going to play regularly unless Bruno is injured because Bruno is key.

I don't see him as a defensive mid so he will not be rotating with Fred or McT.
Squad depth is one thing but blowing the majority of our transfer budget on a 5th choice midfielder seems fecking ridiculous. Glaring holes in the squad namely on the wing and centre back yet we pay 40m, our big summer signing on a guy who can’t get in the team.
 

elmo

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Ole promised all our signings this season that they're crucial to the first team.

God bless them if they took him for his word if VDB can't get game time over an unfit Pogba and James who's been shit for about a year now.
 

Hoof the ball

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Bad attitude? I think not. Almost every character report we've received from Ajax, Van der Sar, fellow players and friends within the game all paint the portrait of him as a country boy with huge work ethic, not especially crazy in his social life and with his head firmly fixed on straight.
 

Forevergiggs1

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I can see VDB going down the Fred, Matic route. Frozen right out until injuries mean there's no choice but to play them. They then come in play really well and then it's a masterstroke. Even if he isn't an Ole signing VDB is more than good enough to play some kind of role. So far complete waste of a good talent.
 

hobbers

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He is to Ole what Fred was to Jose.

Ed: "We can get you this guy if you want, please say yes because we desperately need to make a signing for PR reasons if nothing else."
Manager: "I guess it's better than nothing...?"
 

spiriticon

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Squad depth is one thing but blowing the majority of our transfer budget on a 5th choice midfielder seems fecking ridiculous.
I wouldn't have signed him, but then what do I know?

People here were shouting about the need for squad depth, so here he is. As squad depth.
 

hubbuh

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Fred, McTominay and Mata deserved a chance as backups ahead of him and they've taken it. Bruno's too productive to drop, Pogba has too much potential to not have on the pitch one way or the other, and we need pace to complement the others. He was never going to slot straight into the first team because he was never that good. If we wanted a first team player in his position it would've been Grealish for twice the price. Not much to see really. None of the signings are Ole's players.
I get the inclusion of McT, Fred and Mata, but I'm not sure what Dan James has done to warrant starting. Pretty much everyone knew he'd offer very little. Cavani came on and we started to stretch them a bit more. Very frustrating as Chelsea are clearly anxious at the moment and are gunning for clean sheets. Feels like a missed opportunity.
 

MikeUpNorth

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Would have been a good game to play him. He's good in tight spaces.
 

united for life

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Need to start seeing him more often. He is a creative midfielder that can have a good impact on the team. I’d like to see a mctominay-vdb partnership in midfield
 

spiriticon

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I get the inclusion of McT, Fred and Mata, but I'm not sure what Dan James has done to warrant starting. Pretty much everyone knew he'd offer very little. Cavani came on and we started to stretch them a bit more. Very frustrating as Chelsea are clearly anxious at the moment and are gunning for clean sheets. Feels like a missed opportunity.
It doesn't matter whether James starts or not. VdB isn't going to play RWF.

The players that matter to VdB's chances are Bruno, Pogba and Mata
 

Smores

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I wouldn't have signed him, but then what do I know?

People here were shouting about the need for squad depth, so here he is. As squad depth.
People didn't want us to sign depth though. They wanted better players that would push others into the role of depth.

VDB is that to be fair, which is why people are confused.
 

Fortitude

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Fred, McTominay and Mata deserved a chance as backups ahead of him and they've taken it. Bruno's too productive to drop, Pogba has too much potential to not have on the pitch one way or the other, and we need pace to complement the others. He was never going to slot straight into the first team because he was never that good. If we wanted a first team player in his position it would've been Grealish for twice the price. Not much to see really. None of the signings are Ole's players.
Diamond? Pogba advanced left with de Beek in midfield? There are ways and means to utilise him and make a cohesive unit, don't you think?

Can't help but be curious if he is only going to get playing time when Pogba or Fernandes aren't featuring.
 

Real Name

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He uses always the same 13/14 players + late subs and slow reading of the game, definitely one of the worst managers in professional football
This is one of the worst posts I've seen in a good while.

Today for example subs were anything but slow.

There's still a huge amoung of games to be played so I wouldn't panic. Saying that I'd sub him on instead of Pogba today. Pogba, while he wasnt bad he didnt exactly add anything. Theres so much energy and puropse with VDB so I think he'd changed the game more.