[Bebestation]

It’s not all that confusing.

Just like Lingard - both players best ability is their movement.

To utelise movement well as a tactic you have to be correctly positioned as a tactic.

VDB as a CM that is half the time not a CM but positioned as a CAM/SS is useless as a CM.

Then comes the bigger issue - say we do play VDB as a CAM is that more worthy than what Bruno brings to the pitch who also has good movement but plenty of other assets as well?

For me VDB is a) not playing in his best position and b) not the best player we have in his position.

 

[SilentWitness]

I really don't think he does many of the things you have suggested. At least not in a Utd shirt, I don't know about for Ajax.

His passing range is poor. It's one of the most annoying things about his play, for a guy that was built up by his backers as the technical option steeped in the Ajax school in contrast to McFred. All his passes are unambitious and over short distances. Some downright take the sting out of any forward momentum.

I don't see how you can dictate tempo at the rate he gets into positions to receive the football. You have to be brave to do that. By extension he's also not very positive. Maybe he was for Everton, I don't know, but for us he either goes missing in the middle of the pitch or plays so high he's hiding behind the opposition CB. Very odd play.

Like i said, when he was able to play for us he played in that type of role and he was decent at it. You could see if he had better players around him that he would slot into PL football with no issues.

 

[Kostov]

If he has any sort of pride and half a brain he will realize that his only chance of a future here is actually at CM/CDM. He is not good enough to be a CAM for us, and with Bruno and Eriksen even less space there. Adapt your game and try to be useful. If he can not get a game in front of McT and Fred, we should try and recoup some of the fee next summer or even in January.

 

[Trex]

Like i said, when he was able to play for us he played in that type of role and he was decent at it. You could see if he had better players around him that he would slot into PL football with no issues.

Would you want him back?

 

[SilentWitness]

Would you want him back?

I wouldn't be against another loan but we have higher priorities to address first before looking at that as an option.

 

[Trex]

I wouldn't be against another loan but we have higher priorities to address first before looking at that as an option.

Nah no loan a sale this time.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

I know it was a popular ole bash in the day but dvdb isn't going to be a good enough play maker for the premiership.

He is a good 10 for that second striker style 10. He will get chances there if Bruno gets injured and he would have in the last few years in the same scenario but Bruno is just important a player to just rotate when we have been fighting for our lives for top 4.

I think he will do better under ETH as he is a player like lingard that has a knack of finding space in the box and in theory ETH should be able to coach is to create space like this more often. I still think he will find it hard to get chances behind Bruno though. I can't imagine eriksen will mainly be a 10 but eriksen situation can't be a great help for Donny either

 

[Crashoutcassius]

It’s not all that confusing.

Just like Lingard - both players best ability is their movement.

To utelise movement well as a tactic you have to be correctly positioned as a tactic.

VDB as a CM that is half the time not a CM but positioned as a CAM/SS is useless as a CM.

Then comes the bigger issue - say we do play VDB as a CAM is that more worthy than what Bruno brings to the pitch who also has good movement but plenty of other assets as well?

For me VDB is a) not playing in his best position and b) not the best player we have in his position.

I basically wrote this exact thing just worse above haha

 

[horsechoker]

I think he's best utilised off the bench particularly against teams who sit deep and will allow us to play in and around the box.

His game is short passing and one twos in and around the box.

 

[sglowrider]

How the heck do we unlock this fella

A WD40 manager

 

[Waynne]

A WD40 manager

 

[RuudTom83]

Does he get picked for the national team?

 

[Abraxas]

I wouldn't be against another loan but we have higher priorities to address first before looking at that as an option.

Doesn't this say it all?

He's supposed to be a Man Utd footballer and you're not sure he should be prioritised for a team that narrowly avoided relegation, and doesn't have the greatest midfielders around.

I'd suggest if he was really all that you'd be keen to snap him up. Lampard needs good players. As it is, I'm hardly sure you'd be pushing for him even if he was available for a reasonable fee.

 

[SilentWitness]

Doesn't this say it all?

He's supposed to be a Man Utd footballer and you're not sure he should be prioritised for a team that narrowly avoided relegation, and doesn't have the greatest midfielders around.

I'd suggest if he was really all that you'd be keen to snap him up. Lampard needs good players.

Not really, different teams have different priorities. We need a DM first and foremost.

 

[Abraxas]

Not really, different teams have different priorities. We need a DM first and foremost.

I get that but I think if a top footballer who's stock is low resulting in a modest fee is available, then it's a good opportunistic signing. But theres nothing that would compel you to do that, he showed hints at best. We just keep looking for something that ain't there with Donny.

 

[SilentWitness]

I get that but I think if a top footballer who's stock is low resulting in a modest fee is available, then it's a good opportunistic signing. But theres nothing that would compel you to do that, he showed hints at best. We just keep looking for something that ain't there with Donny.

We don't have the money to be buying players that are opportunistic. We need to obtain our top targets that fill the voids of the squad first i.e Tarkowski making our defence better, McNeil replacing Richy etc.

 

[VanDeBank]

Does he get picked for the national team?

No, he hasn't made the squad since the Euro and for good reason.

 

[Trex]

We don't have the money to be buying players that are opportunistic. We need to obtain our top targets that fill the voids of the squad first i.e Tarkowski making our defence better, McNeil replacing Richy etc.

Would you take Bruno Fernandes if he'll cost £20m.

 

[KikiDaKats]

Every time I watch this lad and see peoples reaction. I feel I was watching a different game.
He gets called out for shitty performances in games when in truth it wasn’t. If I were him I’d leave the club. His personality is what fans can’t warm up to.
Due to us starved of a Roy Keane for years, we keeping thinking any new midfielder coming in will be him. No it doesn’t work that way, every single individual work in their own way. Not being a flashy, brash or loud personality doesn’t equal being bad at your job.
I think he is a brilliant footballer and he is not playing worse than a lot of much herald players out there. The only difference they having more games than him.

 

[Stacks]

Every time I watch this lad and see peoples reaction. I feel I was watching a different game.
He gets called out for shitty performances in games when in truth it wasn’t. If I were him I’d leave the club. His personality is what fans can’t warm up to.
Due to us starved of a Roy Keane for years, we keeping thinking any new midfielder coming in will be him. No it doesn’t work that way, every single individual work in their own way. Not being a flashy, brash or loud personality doesn’t equal being bad at your job.
I think he is a brilliant footballer and he is not playing worse than a lot of much herald players out there. The only difference they having more games than him.

What makes him a brilliant footballer? Please provide a list of things if you can

 

[Kag]

Every time I watch this lad and see peoples reaction. I feel I was watching a different game.
He gets called out for shitty performances in games when in truth it wasn’t. If I were him I’d leave the club. His personality is what fans can’t warm up to.
Due to us starved of a Roy Keane for years, we keeping thinking any new midfielder coming in will be him. No it doesn’t work that way, every single individual work in their own way. Not being a flashy, brash or loud personality doesn’t equal being bad at your job.
I think he is a brilliant footballer and he is not playing worse than a lot of much herald players out there. The only difference they having more games than him.

Van de Beek gets called out because he goes through whole matches having done absolutely nothing of note. He doesn’t even do bad things. Just nothing.

If and when that changes then so will the groupthink towards him. Believe it or not, some of us would quite like to see this ‘brilliant footballer’ you make reference to.

 

[MadDogg]

Every time I watch this lad and see peoples reaction. I feel I was watching a different game.
He gets called out for shitty performances in games when in truth it wasn’t. If I were him I’d leave the club. His personality is what fans can’t warm up to.
Due to us starved of a Roy Keane for years, we keeping thinking any new midfielder coming in will be him. No it doesn’t work that way, every single individual work in their own way. Not being a flashy, brash or loud personality doesn’t equal being bad at your job.
I think he is a brilliant footballer and he is not playing worse than a lot of much herald players out there. The only difference they having more games than him.

There have been a few matches here and there where he's done well. Notably in his last game or two of his first season, and then in a few of his early games of his second season. At that point he actually had a decent claim that he should have been getting more chances than he was, considering how badly our midfield was playing at the time.

However the vast majority of the time he really brings nothing to the team. Maybe he'll turn that around now that ETH is here, but the preseason hasn't shown any signs of it yet.

 

[Donut]

Would anyone be surprised if he’s playing for FC Utrecht in 3 years time? I don’t think so, he’s stealing a living at this point and Ajax are probably still pinching themselves how they got 50 million for him. Will go down as one of our worst buys.

 

[Pickle85]

Every time I watch this lad and see peoples reaction. I feel I was watching a different game.
He gets called out for shitty performances in games when in truth it wasn’t. If I were him I’d leave the club. His personality is what fans can’t warm up to.
Due to us starved of a Roy Keane for years, we keeping thinking any new midfielder coming in will be him. No it doesn’t work that way, every single individual work in their own way. Not being a flashy, brash or loud personality doesn’t equal being bad at your job.
I think he is a brilliant footballer and he is not playing worse than a lot of much herald players out there. The only difference they having more games than him.

This has to be a wum.

 

[VanDeBank]

Every time I watch this lad and see peoples reaction. I feel I was watching a different game.
He gets called out for shitty performances in games when in truth it wasn’t. If I were him I’d leave the club. His personality is what fans can’t warm up to.
Due to us starved of a Roy Keane for years, we keeping thinking any new midfielder coming in will be him. No it doesn’t work that way, every single individual work in their own way. Not being a flashy, brash or loud personality doesn’t equal being bad at your job.
I think he is a brilliant footballer and he is not playing worse than a lot of much herald players out there. The only difference they having more games than him.

Keane was tough as nails.

Donny is a soft cuddly blonde.

 

[CarbonStoolBites]

Would anyone be surprised if he’s playing for FC Utrecht in 3 years time? I don’t think so, he’s stealing a living at this point and Ajax are probably still pinching themselves how they got 50 million for him. Will go down as one of our worst buys.

Not only I wouldn’t be surprised, I think FC Utrecht could be a great move for him, now, not in 3 years.
Lovely little city as well.

 

[KikiDaKats]

What makes him a brilliant footballer? Please provide a list of things if you can

I can but I won’t.

 

[Godfather]

I wonder why we haven't shipped him out already. He's so far from good enough it's not even funny

 

[KikiDaKats]

There have been a few matches here and there where he's done well. Notably in his last game or two of his first season, and then in a few of his early games of his second season. At that point he actually had a decent claim that he should have been getting more chances than he was, considering how badly our midfield was playing at the time.

However the vast majority of the time he really brings nothing to the team. Maybe he'll turn that around now that ETH is here, but the preseason hasn't shown any signs of it yet.

I’d reference your statement “ he once had a claim” or at some point. To be entitled to a claim I’d like to think meant he is shown himself to be more than hapless.
I think he brought more to a team as a whole. I’m not one for big individual moments, tend to look at how pieces in the team work together. Ex. In a team of galacticos I thought Helguera was brilliant, I watch Chelsea and think they are feck whenever the Croatian lad is benched, I look at City and feel without Sterling’s brainless runs this season they’re toast.
I won’t sit here and say he is a key player for us and deserve a bigger role because I understand his skill set might not be aligned with our expectations as fans or club this very moment but it doesn’t diminish his ability as a footballer.
I judge players on their strengths and not their limitations.

 

[KikiDaKats]

Keane was tough as nails.

Donny is a soft cuddly blonde.

Hey I love my cuddly blondes.

It’s a shame because in football comparison is the name of the game.

 

[acnumber9]

Keane was tough as nails.

Donny is a soft cuddly blonde.

Apart from being tougher, Keane was also a vastly superior footballer.

 

[SAFMUTD]

The renewed expectations I had for him now with Ten Hag have rapidly diminished. I don't think even Ten Hag rates him, hopefully Im wrong but he's about to become our brand new deadwood.

 

[Andersonson]

Is he the most hyped player since Kagawa and Anderson?

 

[hellhunter]

Is he the most hyped player since Kagawa and Anderson?

Donny isn't fit to lace Anderson's boots

 

[Andersonson]

Donny isn't fit to lace Anderson's boots

Didnt say he was, but Ando was hyped as hell. Nearly as good as people claimed

 

[hellhunter]

Didnt say he was, but Ando was hyped as hell. Nearly as good as people claimed

He won golden boy thingy before he joined us, right? So yeah, he was proper hyped. Shame it never quite came together for him

 

[Andersonson]

He won golden boy thingy before he joined us, right? So yeah, he was proper hyped. Shame it never quite came together for him

Huge talent, but after two seasons with us he could barely breath. He was terrible later on. Exciting as a 18 year old, terrible as 25

 

[klayton88]

Can't remember a single thing he's done in 45m. Definition of a passenger.

 

[Olecurls99]

Can't remember a single thing he's done in 45m. Definition of a passenger.

He came on at 65 minutes

 

[klayton88]

He came on at 65 minutes

30 mins then.