Van de Beek has been wearing the Manchester United shirt for 2 years and 2 months. During that time, he has only started 5 times in the Premier League. Last season, it was thought that playing for Everton on loan would be a turning point for the midfielder to find himself again. However, he has only made five Premier League appearances.
This season, when Erik ten Hag took charge, Van de Beek thought he would have more opportunities to start. In the end, a muscle injury caused the Dutch midfielder to miss 10 matches, including 4 Europa League group stage matches.
Also due to injuries, Van de Beek missed EURO 2020 and now, the 2022 World Cup has no place for the "Red Devils" star. Sharing about his student, Ten Hag said that Van de Beek still has a chance, as long as the midfielder tries tirelessly.
Previously at Ajax, Van de Beek did not often play in a defensive midfield position. He paired Lisandro Martinez in midfield as a box-to-box midfielder. In the Dutch national team, the best position for the 25-year-old star is the attack and he did very well when he was still promoted.
When Van de Beek arrived at Old Trafford, Paul Pogba's future at that time was seriously threatened. British media at that time shared that Ole Solskjaer's signing of Van de Beek was just like finding someone to support Bruno Fernandes so that the Portuguese star could rest more. However, the task was so easy that Van de Beek could not do it because his physique and fitness did not allow it.
Van de Beek's strongest point was running free and exploiting space in the bottom third of the opponent's field. This means the Dutch midfielder can play well in the 'number 10' position. When playing in this role, Van de Beek will need someone to support him behind so that he can focus on creating assists to coordinate with his teammates in the forward line.
The current difficulty compared to the above squad is Anthony Martial's position. The French striker has only played 129 minutes out of a total of 1,170 minutes since the beginning of the Premier League season. Without Martial, it would be difficult for Van de Beek to find a compatible partner. This is different from Bruno Fernandes when the Portuguese midfielder can also score goals in many different ways in addition to coordinating.
After the loss to Aston Villa, when asked about Van de Beek's inadequacy, Ten Hag was almost indifferent and only answered yes. While still being fully protected by his coach, Van de Beek should take advantage of the little time left to prove his ability.
In the rare matches he started, Van de Beek played as an attacking midfielder. Therefore, Ten Hag needs to give Van de Beek a few more positions to find the most suitable place for himself in the "Red Devils" formation.
Van de Beek's talent cannot be denied, but to stand firm at M.U and the Premier League, trying is not enough. What needs to be done is to surpass yourself from the intensity on the training ground to training the will to be steadfast and patient. Ten Hag is still waiting every day for Van de Beek to regain his form.
