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Rio Ferdinand admits he feels sorry for Donny van de Beek for not having enough minutes at Manchester United and feels the Dutchman can add “value” to the Red Devils.
The 23-year-old was United’s summer signing for £ 40m from Ajax, but the midfielder has been out in 20 games this season and has played just 63 minutes of league football in 2021 so far.
Van de Beek showed his quality by playing a key role in Mason Greenwood’s draw in a 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final loss to Leicester City on Sunday and Ferdinand claims the midfielder would not have moved to Old Trafford had he known from him. bass part role Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Speaking about Van de Beek, Ferdinand told VIBE with Five: ‘I’m sorry for him. I don’t care who you are, if you’re playing the odd two minutes here and there, three minutes here and there, you can’t act. I don’t care what level of player you are.
“I don’t think they have helped him in terms of team selection and opportunities, so I don’t think it’s fair to say he’s underperforming because he hasn’t been put in a position to consistently perform yet.
“I really feel sorry for him, but it would be interesting to hear what they sold him and what they told him along the way due to the lack of opportunities, I don’t think he would have come here if he had known.”
Van de Beek came to Old Trafford after making a name for himself in the Netherlands, playing an important role in Ajax’s run to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019.
In his final season with the Dutch giants, Van de Beek scored ten goals and recorded 11 assists in a domestic campaign that was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.
But Van de Beek has appeared just 27 times with United as he struggles to compete alongside Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba for a starting spot.
Former United defender Ferdinand believes his role in Greenwood’s goal at the weekend shows the Dutchman’s intelligence and ability to influence matters in the penalty area.
Ferdinand continued: ‘I saw him a lot in the Champions League in the year they had a good run all the way to the semi-finals, Ajax. It was so impressive in the way that he got into the area, in the way that he was also able to play deeper and keep the ball, keep the game going.
‘I think it would definitely add value to this team. He’s someone who would create goals, played a role in the goal (vs Leicester). When he enters the area, he knows how to get the ball into the back of the net.
But to enter the area he has to play in the position that Bruno Fernandes plays and he is not going to do that. Can you do it from position # 8 or # 6 when holding? I think it can. It is smart enough.
“Ajax players are educated to be smart footballers, they can play in multiple positions, he can do it. It is obvious that United want a more rigid central midfield behind Bruno.
‘I understand, given that he has to protect the center-backs and that will not be one of Van de Beek’s strengths. But then the question arises: why buy it then?
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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