Why Donny Van de Beek isn't playing

Apologies for the near 6 month delay in writing another post - after many many emails back and forth following technical difficulties - we are back! And what better topic to discuss than why a young super-talent is not playing for the club that just splashed £40 million on him...

Manchester United's transfer window was a strange one. Both media and fans watched closely for any developments on the doomed pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, and the deadline day explosion of signings was not foreseen by many. The £40 million signing of Donny Van de Beek was widely acknowledged by most to be one of the best deals of the window - Real Madrid had been inches away from signing him the window before, showcasing the worldwide interest in his services. Despite this, Manchester United managed to have pictures of him in his new kit signing a contract barely an hour after the news was broken by the media that a deal was being discussed, which, from a club with the profile of United, is almost unheard of these days.

Speculation was high as to where exactly he would fit into this team - does he replace Pogba? Matic? Surely now McTominay and Fred have no chance of getting into the team? His early debut consolation goal in a cameo from the bench against Crystal Palace was one of the few positives United fans could take from that game, and promised much for the Dutchman. Now let's fast-forward a few months - Van de Beek has made just 10 appearances in the Premier League, 8 of which came from the bench late on in games. He's had very little opportunity to showcase his skills, leading to Solskjaer being asked on a weekly basis why he isn't starting, and former United boss and fellow Dutchman Louis Van Gaal to slam Donny's decision to go to Old Trafford. A fruitful international break which saw him starting and scoring for the Netherlands further pressed the point - what does this guy have to do to start games for Manchester United?

Now, why isn't he playing? There is a few answers here, in my mind, Ole quite simply does does not need him yet. Edinson Cavani, a deadline day signing and all round class act is in a similar situation. Cavani single handedly dragged United out of the mud against Southampton, assisting 1 and scoring 2 to win the game in the dying minutes. Whilst he's had a little injury problem, he has not started either of United's last 2 Premier League games against Leeds or Leicester. He and Van de Beek are luxuries Man United can now afford - fantastic squad depth for the first time in nearly a decade.

Another obvious point to address would be the crowded midfield that United already have - I would point out that that the 4 deeper midfielders at United before Donny's arrival have been placed by Solskjaer into pairs, at least if they are starting (you rarely see Fred without McTominay just as you rarely see Pogba without Matic). So where can we fit Donny in? The problem lies with the consistency of the team as a whole - Donny was fabulous in a diamond against Leipzig (the first game...) but then went missing (as the whole team did) in the same formation against Istanbul the following week, being replaced at half time. Trying to fit him in posed too much of a risk for Solskjaer's liking. Personally, I think he'd work very very well with McTominay behind Bruno Fernandes. Whilst I like the "McFred" combination, I think in time Van de Beek can bring a lot more to the team than Fred - the tenacious Brazilian is an incredibly hard worker, and whilst Donny may not cover the same distances in games, I don't think he has to. Van de Beek has that classic Dutch trait of being able to read the game very well - a smart interceptor of the ball, and his calm, precise passing under pressure would serve the new insistence of playing out from the back (which has got them in a lot of trouble against the pressing teams) a lot better than Fred. Again, I do like Fred, and I feel harsh bashing him like this... but he does have a mistake in him. In a lot of games you notice him giving silly, needless fouls away in dangerous positions, and his inconsistent passing can be frustrating to watch at times. Should injuries and general squad rotation force Ole to start a "McBeek" partnership behind Bruno, I would be very keen to see it.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Whilst he has as good a case as any to start games over someone like Fred (as I believe alongside McTominay), Solskjaer just doesn't need to yet. United are in a good place right now, yes the Champions League crumble was dissapointing but virtually nobody expected them to get out of the group at the start of the season. The league must now be the undying focus for the Red Devils - there is even talk of a title challenge if you can believe it. It is because of that, that I agree with Solskjaer to not start Donny. This is the closest United have been to the top for a long time - it is not the time to start experimenting with a midfield that has been working. However, should a few injuries occur in that region of the pitch, by all means start him - this is what he was bought for, just as Cavani and Telles were - quality depth in positions that there are frequent injuries.

It is also nice to hear commentators complimenting the strength of the United bench for the first time in a long time - Solskjaer now has men he can call upon to grab a goal or change the game in the dying seconds of a match (think of Cavani vs Saints, or Van de Beek vs Palace). Donny was not bought to be an instant sensation as Bruno Fernandes was - his position is a now a very deep one at Old Trafford and he is still young. His time will come soon, Fred will pick up a suspension and Pogba will have a niggle - there's no way Solskjaer starts Matic and McTominay together again, so that will be his chance. A little has to fall his way to get him into the starting XI, but I believe it will, and it he will seize the opportunity with both hands.