Manchester United favorite Jaap Stam believes Donny van de Beek’s eagerness to attack may explain why he was overlooked for regular opportunities at Old Trafford this season.
The Dutch national team player finally left United on loan when he joined Everton in the January transfer window as he looked for regular playing time in the Premier League.
Van de Beek, 24, has been a peripheral figure ever since he switched to United from Ajax in September 2020 and failed to secure a permanent starting role under either Ole Gunnar Solskjær or interim manager. Ralph Rangnick.
READ MORE: How Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek can rise above Frank Lampard’s criticism of Everton
The midfielder finally got his wish for first-team football when he came to Everton at the start of the year, although his time at Goodison Park has hardly gone much better with Frank Lampard’s team stuck in a tough relegation battle.
Former United defender Stam, who worked with Van de Beek at Ajax, refuses to blame United’s managers for his lack of playing time and believes he could be overlooked for being too attack-oriented.
“I think for Donny, he didn’t get enough chances to show up, because it’s not just about getting a match or a few minutes,” Stam told the betting expert.
“No, more matches are needed, and I am not saying that the coach is guilty, because there is a lot of excitement in the matches, there is a lot of excitement on the coaches.
“Of course I can understand that a coach does not say ‘yes, but I can not give him a few matches to see how he performs’ and then we risk that if he does not coach, we can lose more matches. I can understand it in a way.
“But I can also understand that you have to trust your players, you have to give the players confidence. Sometimes, of course, you have to give them a little more time to show themselves in what they can and maybe also play. A little more attacking.
“For some reason, the coaches are not choosing him. Maybe he is too attacking. He wants to move forward. The coaches have favored two holding midfielders.”
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