What’s the dilemma with Donny’s playing time & Ole?

[FahadiHossein]

What does does Fred have to do for Donny to get a game? I mean i know Donny hasn't been excellent by any stretch of the imagination, but Fred has been single handedly costing us points this season, yet he is always involved and often starting.

The reason is that Fred and vDB don't play in the same position, no matter how much Fred can screw up. The only competition for Fred is Matic, who can't play every game at this intensity due to his age.
vdB's only two positions are CM (which McTominay or Pogba plays) or AM (which Bruno, Lingard or Pogba plays). The only way to put him in the team is to play Matic or McTominay at holding mid, while he plays as a Box-to-Box midfielder, but he does not push as often as McTominay does, and he does not play passes as well as Pogba as a Roaming Playmaker.

EDIT: If I say we want to try something out, I'd rather try Phil Jones during the international break and put him back in his old position of DM. Let's see how he fares during training.

 

[Giggsy13]

The reason is that Fred and vDB don't play in the same position, no matter how much Fred can screw up. The only competition for Fred is Matic, who can't play every game at this intensity due to his age.
vdB's only two positions are CM (which McTominay or Pogba plays) or AM (which Bruno, Lingard or Pogba plays). The only way to put him in the team is to play Matic or McTominay at holding mid, while he plays as a Box-to-Box midfielder, but he does not push as often as McTominay does, and he does not play passes as well as Pogba as a Roaming Playmaker.

EDIT: If I say we want to try something out, I'd rather try Phil Jones during the international break and put him back in his old position of DM. Let's see how he fares during training.

It’s so sad and brutal that Jones’ injury record completely derailed a chance to have him develop as a DM. I think we all forget how versatile and good he was when we first signed him. Maybe if we draw easy opposition in the FA cup, we give a him a chance at DM.

 

[degea1999]

Moyes didn't play Zaha because the fans criticised Moyes for not playing Zaha
Van gaal didn't play chicharito because the fans criticised van gaal for not playing chicharito
Mourinho didn't play schweinsteiger because the fans criticised mourinho for not playing schweinsteiger
Ole didn't play van de Beek because the fans criticised Ole for not playing van de Beek

we are so unlucky to have 4 stubborn, biased and self-centered managers in a row

 

[0le]

If you look over the appearance statistics:
20/21:
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/don...verein=985&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

21/22:
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/don...verein=985&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

All:
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/don...verein=985&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

All stats:
Premier League - 41 Squads/ 20 appearances / 4 starts / 16 sub / 21 unused sub
CL - 8 Squads/ 7 appearances / 4 starts / 3 sub / 1 unused sub
FA Cup - 4 Squads/ 4 appearances / 4 starts / 0 sub / 0 unused sub
EFL Cup - 5 Squads/ 5 appearances / 4 starts / 1 sub / 0 unused sub
Europa League - 6 Squads/ 3 appearances / 1 start / 2 sub / 3 unused sub
Total: 64 squads/ 39 appearances / 17 starts / 22 subs / 25 unused sub

It seems Ole "gave him a few chances" in the CL last season, made up his mind and then Donny has since only been considered to be a cup game player or feature in meaningless PL fixtures.

 

[Bobski]

If you look over the appearance statistics:
20/21:
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/don...verein=985&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

21/22:
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/don...verein=985&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

All:
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/don...verein=985&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

All stats:
Premier League - 41 Squads/ 20 appearances / 4 starts / 16 sub / 21 unused sub
CL - 8 Squads/ 7 appearances / 4 starts / 3 sub / 1 unused sub
FA Cup - 4 Squads/ 4 appearances / 4 starts / 0 sub / 0 unused sub
EFL Cup - 5 Squads/ 5 appearances / 4 starts / 1 sub / 0 unused sub
Europa League - 6 Squads/ 3 appearances / 1 start / 2 sub / 3 unused sub
Total: 64 squads/ 39 appearances / 17 starts / 22 subs / 25 unused sub

It seems Ole "gave him a few chances" in the CL last season, made up his mind and then Donny has since only been considered to be a cup game player or feature in meaningless PL fixtures.

39 appearances and has looked decent in maybe 4 of them. To be fair he has rarely looked outright bad but how often has he looked as if he could make a positive, valuable, impact? Most of the time he is just there, tidy and anonymous.