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“He Wasn’t the Player I Had at Ajax”- Erik ten Hag On Not Starting Donny Van De Beek at Manchester United

Published 01/08/2024, 12:24 AM EST

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via Reuters

Donny van de Beek could be assumed to be a peg in a round hole at Old Trafford. Manchester United would not have felt amused to see one of their top talents not being used to his best. The player, after initially showing great promise, is now being treated as an outcast for playing eleven by Erik ten Hag.

The former Ajax coach has been having a tough time managing players at Manchester United. And as a consequence, the team looks to have lost its stability. Looks like finally, the time has come for the player and the coach to choose different paths.

Erik ten Hag blames injuries for losing Donny van de Beek

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Erik ten Hag worked with Dony van de Beek a few years ago at Ajax. The partnership saw very green pastures and won together. But it has totally gone wrong at Old Trafford. And ten Hag blames the change in the player’s intensity as the reason for keeping him away. According to reports, ten Hag stated, “From the moment I came here at Man United, he wasn’t the player I had at Ajax because he was injured and so many times he was unavailable.”

 

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Van de Beek left United on a loan to Eintracht Frankfurt until the end of this season. Even though Erik ten Hag may let his compatriot student out, it looks like he will still have the option open after a few months. Manchester United have had one of their worst seasons this time, being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the bottom of the table. And the situation of the team, coupled with the player’s fitness, has led to his underutilization.

Professional sports can be unfair to players on certain occasions. Donny van de Beek has lost precious game time due to his recurrent injuries. But to his misfortune, his worst period came under a crucial stage with a knee ligament injury, which kept him out for 6 months, which further added to the frustration of ten Hag.

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Donny van de Beek’s incredible career at Ajax

Donny van de Beek’s presence on the Ajax team was a blessing for the currently under-fire manager. The player scored 41 goals and provided 34 assists for Ajax. He also won the Eredivisie in the 2018-19 season, scoring 9 goals and providing 10 assists.

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Even though ten Hag may have the reputation of a stubborn manager, he was not the only one who saw De Beek having problems. The player was also benched by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and played just 62 games for United, scoring just two goals. But the player now has a second chance at Frankfurt and hopefully will find himself once again with more game time than at United.

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Written by:

Ruthu

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Growing up in a sporting background, I found a passion for soccer through the remarkable 2002 World Cup-winning Brazilian football team. Watching the Premier League where Thierry Henry-starring ‘Invincible’ Gunners and Sir Alex Ferguson’s glorious Manchester United had ruled, I had my heart set on Arsenal. However, Ronaldo Nazario, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho are my favorite players and Lionel Messi is the GOAT.
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Edited by:

Tushhita.barua