Solskjaer is "taking the p*ss" out of Van de Beek
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 9 Nov 2021 12:44 CST
- 4 min read
Manchester United legend Paul Ince believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is "taking the p*ss" when it comes to Donny van de Beek's involvement.
Van de Beek joined Man Utd in the summer of 2020, and was expected to provide healthy competition for both Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, while allowing Solskjaer to rest those two key players across the course of the season.
Recently most read
However, last season, the Dutch midfielder, who Man Utd signed from Ajax, made just four Premier League starts, and played less than 1,500 minutes in all competitions, which led to criticism aimed at the manager.
This year, Van de Beek has also struggled for minutes, and his two substitute appearances in the league have totalled up to just 15 minutes of action - a fact that former Man Utd midfielder Ince isn't happy about.
What has Ince said?
Speaking to The United Stand, Ince expressed his belief that Solskjaer, and the club, made promises to Van de Beek that they haven't kept.
"Donny van de Beek gets four minutes against Atalanta. What worries me is the choices Ole makes.
"This is what he said and Donny thought, ‘f*ck me, this is my dream, this is what I’ve been waiting for’. Two years down the line he’s on the bench. Ole’s actually taken the p*ss out of him."
It was believed that when Van de Beek joined he would be handed a star role having impressed at Ajax, and received the praise of former Manchester United and current Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar. That hasn't happened, and Ince thinks that the Dutch midfielder should take a stand.
"Not only has he taken the p*ss out of him, he gives him four minutes against Atalanta and then goes, ‘oh by the way, here’s your chance, go and have 10 minutes against Manchester City where we’ve not touched the ball for 85 minutes and show me what you can do’.
"If I’m Donny van de Beek I would’ve said, ‘f*ck that, I’m not going on now, you want me to go on for 10 minutes when we haven’t touched the ball for 88 minutes?’ Now you’re taking the p*ss out of him even more."
Further issues plague Solskjaer’s side
Van de Beek isn't the only Man Utd player that Ince believes has been hard done by - Jesse Lingard is another who he feels has been mistreated.
After not playing in the first-half of the 2020/21 season, Lingard went on loan to West Ham, and enjoyed a fruitful spell in London that saw him score nine goals and assist four in just 16 Premier League games for the Hammers.
Upon returning to Man Utd, however, Lingard is back to a familiar place on the bench, something Ince disagrees with. "It’s decisions like that that baffle me, they really do. I don’t understand. He stopped Jesse Lingard from going to West Ham because he said he’ll be part of his team. You’re 2-0 down and you don’t bring him on."
Ince also discussed the lack of a Man Utd future he believes Paul Pogba will have. The Frenchman's contract is set to expire in 2022, and Ince can't see a scenario in which he stays longer. "You see the situation with Pogba now, he’s starting to get sent off all the time, all that is starting to flare up again. He’ll be gone by the end of the season."
