Fernandes and Pogba have limited van de Beek’s options
Solskjaer’s plan for a deeper role could require the Dutchman to form a partnership with Pogba
Van de Beek’s form for Ajax suggests this is not his natural role
When Donny van de Beek signed for Manchester United from Ajax on 30th August 2020 for an initial £35 million he felt like a transfer coup. The Dutchman had been courted by Real Madrid and seemed to offer quality to a midfield sorely needing one.
However, it has hardly been a success. Solskjaer prefers a three man midfield, a base of two defensive midfielders and an attacking point. With that van de Beek made only four starts in the league last season, and has so far played 5 minutes of this campaign. Yet his performances for Ajax in the 2018/19 Champions League in particular suggested a player of technical ability. It hardly feels like he’s been given a chance for United. So before giving up, where should van de Beek play?
Perhaps his finest performance for Ajax was in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Spurs on 30th April 2019. Van de Beek played 90 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as an attacking midfielder with a midfield defensive base of two behind him. He kept his focus to the middle and attacking third and showed a willingness to get inside the box, resulting in a finely taken goal in the 15th minute. Not a single one of his 33 passes was in Ajax’s defensive third.
His only goal so far for United, the consolation in an opening day 3-1 defeat last season to Crystal Palace, followed this pattern. He was almost in the six yard box when he showed poacher instinct to slot the ball to the keeper’s bottom right corner.
Yet this advanced position is precisely the role that Bruno Fernandes has made his own at United. In the match against Newcastle United at the weekend, he played in exactly the same spaces that van de Beek excelled in against Spurs.
It is precisely from the final third where Fernandes scored, the best goal for United at the weekend although he was overshadowed by the story of his countryman Ronaldo. This was already Fernandes’s fourth goal of the season. His numbers against Newcastle were also better than van de Beek’s against Spurs.
He took more passes (58 vs 33), with greater accuracy (82.8% vs 69.7%) all the way showing similar inclinations. Of course, the occasion and level of the opposition have to be taken into account but it is safe to say that the role of United’s attacking midfielder is Fernandes’s for the foreseeable. Further limiting van de Beek’s options in this area is the form of a rejuvenated Jesse Lingard who, in his recent United and England performances, has shown a desire to stick to the final third and run in the box. His goal against Newcastle, United’s fourth, showed exactly that. Paul Pogba, interestingly ignoring van de Beek’s run in the process, found Lingard who took a cool finish. This is precisely the sort of goal van de Beek might have hoped he’d regularly score at United.
If we assume that Jesse Lingard is Fernandes’s alternative then does van de Beek’s future lie further back? The problem with United’s midfield base is obvious. Yet having started the season against Leeds United and Southampton as a wide midfielder for the past two matches Paul Pogba has been pulled back as one of two defensive midfielders, with Fred against Wolves and Matic against Newcastle. The move has been promising.
Against Wolves, he attempted 77 passes with 85.7% accuracy, albeit with only 2 tackles attempted. Neither tackle was successful. Against Newcastle, this went up to 115 attempted passes and 92.5% accuracy. His heatmap shows a desire to play across all of the thirds of the pitch. This suggests that with Fernandes and Ronaldo in front of him and if Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood can provide quality in the wide areas, Paul Pogba might now be free to control the midfield as envisioned when he signed in 2016.
Solskjaer has talked recently of van de Beek playing a deeper role in midfield after an interview where the Dutchman suggested to Rio Ferdinand that he would be happy in this role. Yet will this work if Pogba is the other deep midfielder? Clearly, the Frenchman is good on the ball and in situations where United control possession, such as Newcastle at home. Yet against Newcastle, he only attempted 5 tackles and only 2 were successful. Against Wolves, he managed to intercept the ball 3 times. He didn’t intercept once against Newcastle. So, if he is to play a deeper role will he need a ‘destroyer’ alongside him?
Can van de Beek be that player? That will be the question if van de Beek lines up against Pogba. Two possession-focused deep midfielders have their merits especially at home against the likes of Newcastle but in trickier matches, the Dutchman could find himself dropped in favour of Fred or a fit McTominay. Van de Beek’s passing statistics are not as impressive as Pogba’s recent ones. But, if van de Beek could compliment Pogba by providing defensive dynamism alongside the Frenchman’s passing abilities then not only could his place in United’s side be assured but United could fix a problem area for them whilst avoiding an expensive Declan Rice-sized signing. This could be a big ask. This is not where van de Beek specialised for Ajax and, probably, not why he was signed for United. Whether or not he manages this could decide his United future.
All information courtesy of @StatsZone