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I'm not so sure on that, we can't even break teams down when we try and play at pace, slowing that down would only make that issue even worse.
Yeah, I thought he was bought as he can play across the whole midfield with similar efficiency. Didn't know DVB wanted to play exclusively as a number 10.
The point I bolded is particularly worth noting. It's an overstatement to suggest that we have no tactics, but it's not an overstatement to state that we rely too much on individual moments of genius rather than imposing a sustainable strategy to break down opposition. Look at the Pogba goal against Milan -- and so many others this season, but this was a recent goal. Can anyone seriously argue that Pogba's goal was the result of tactical genius by the manager and implemented by the players? I hope I don't see anyone saying yes. Ole threw Pogba onto the pitch (credit to Ole for that) and Pogba basically said feck you to Milan and got the goal and with stout defending we got the win to go through to the next round.
We won't know until we try I guess! I'd say top four is almost guaranteed sine WHUM drew the other day - not to rest on our laurels but we'd have to absolutely nosedive to drop out now.
Yeah another 2 or 3 wins and I reckon its done. Should keep the first team ticking over for the Europa league after that.
Yep this jumped out at me at the time too...so frustrating. He seems utterly bereft of confidence (and match sharpness) at the moment and, worryingly, as a result I was left wondering whether he was actually hiding for much of the game. Actively avoiding making himself an option which to me is unacceptable. Say what you will about Fred (he was utterly dire) but he never stopped showing for the ball. It's one thing to have an off day but another entirely not to have the stomach for the fight. It was a pretty gutless performance from VdB...sure there are definitely mitigating factors but I'm losing faith fast that he'll become a useful player for us.
He's a younger Davy Klaassen. I'm not sure what the management were expecting of him when they signed him, but surely it has to be more than what he's shown so far. He was supposed to replace Pereira, Mata and Lingard.
We're all struggling to figure this one out. On the one hand it's not hard to see Donny as the planned cover for Bruno, but it's impossible to imagine that that's what Donny himself had in mind for his move to a massive club, only slightly more massive than Ajax, where he already a star player and regular starter. And why spend 40m on a backup for Bruno when we already had Pereira, Mata and Lingard?
Yep - it's horses for courses and there's no right or wrong way to play football but it's so obvious VdB has grown up in a completely different system. Our midfield two is essentially a ball winning and simple passing machine that demands agility and speed mixed with getting up and down the pitch for 90 mins. Bruno sits in front as some kind of quasi striker, AM, 10, 8 and whatever else he pleases.
I don't know what Ole dislikes about him either but I'm pretty sure I know what most of our fanbase dislike about him. Tbh it's more I can't work out what's wrong with this dude. Like it'd kill him if he tries a pass forward.
While they had their flaws and ended up as misfits, especially Kagawa and also Mkhitaryan were 5 times the players for us that VDB is currently proving to be. I know exactly what you mean that they were players too that depended on their team mates far too much and didnt have the individual quality to shine, like VDB, but he's been a whole new level of pointless thus far.
Completely agree.
Those guys are infinitely more talented players.
Two things: Hiding and passing backwards!
Bruno, AWB, Maguire etc have slotted in just fine. You cant blame the "system" when you have a no 10 that hides from the ball and is that risk averse in his passing. Hes neat and tidy on the ball, but thats about it.
Appoint Bosz as head coach and unleash DVB
Agree if he was at Barca or City, PSG , Chelsea, Juve, Bayern etc we’d be drooling at him and wondering how they got such a technical and intelligent player for £40m while we have Matic and Fred
Same. Reminds me a lot of Tom Cleverly. Jogs about pointing at team mates for people to pass to. Can’t run with ball either and likes passing sideways or backwards.
He needs a proper pre-season before we all give up on him. He clearly looks lost out there but a pre-season should sort that out. There is a player in there.
It boggles the mind that Ole let Donny rot on the bench while persisting with vastly inferior players such as Fred and James. I’m an OleIn man (through May) but his mismanagement and nonuse of Donny, when it was clear Pogba when he was unfit from Covid and then when he was injured, is inexcusable.
I think its just a matter of him not suited to our style of play, we prefer to play without the ball and counter, I think he thrives in a possession type system with loads of players around him for quick passes triangles etc. He would unfortunately be the perfect player for City. Ole seems think of him as a 10 which he isn’t.
This is the issue. Firstly, a clip of highlight compilations could even make Bebe look insanely good. And yet, what I took away from this video was:
That's why I completely get Ole not playing him right now. Donny needs to be able to carry the ball and then put it in the right areas - ahead of him. The more the games he plays and is ineffective, the worse his confidence will get.
Clearly we have different ideas of what playmakers should be doing. Donny is nowhere close to Bruno on this. Just look up Bruno's numbers on a /90 basis in terms of the opportunities he creates - both for himself and his teammates. A playmaker isn't tasked with keeping possession, but with maximizing how possession is converted into chances. The complaining about VDB is that he's the epitome (right now) of a player in the LvG mould - where keeping the ball > creating a chance, but risking losing the ball.
Hahaha. Yeh what does Rio know. Caf armchair experts know better.Rio Ferdinand offers sympathy to Donny van de Beek regarding his Manchester United game time and claims Dutchman would add 'value' and 'intelligence' to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's midfield
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...-value-intelligence-Man-Uniteds-midfield.html
Well Rio, what do you know, Caf decided he is a shit player, a "worse Tom Cleverley" how someone put it, and Caf knows best, right? We don't rate players here based on logic.
No offense but this is a bit simplistic. Very easy to roll eyes, throw away the old 'Ah typical caf' lines and write off armchair experts but he simply hadn't shown enough when given the chances. Granted, he's not had much of a chance to build up match sharpness but going off what he's shown in a united shirt so far it's hardly a stretch to suggest he's not pulled up trees. It's also totally disregarding the other ex-players that have been critical of DvB when he's played. Does Rio's opinion carry more weight just because he's ex United?Rio Ferdinand offers sympathy to Donny van de Beek regarding his Manchester United game time and claims Dutchman would add 'value' and 'intelligence' to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's midfield
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...-value-intelligence-Man-Uniteds-midfield.html
Well Rio, what do you know, Caf decided he is a shit player, a "worse Tom Cleverley" how someone put it, and Caf knows best, right? We don't rate players here based on logic.
Yup, basically this.
You can’t not bring Ajax up. It’s literally the club he played for at CL level up to just last year. It’s the club who he scored 3 goals and made assists for en route to the CL semis in 2019. It’s the club who regarded him as good enough to try save a game against a Mourinho defence (when he could actually organise one) in a European final as a 20 year old.
