Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 9:06 AM• Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk

Paul Parker finds it scandalous how Donny van de Beek is dealt with at Manchester United. The midfielder was loosened up at Ajax for at least 39 million euros and has since played only 26 of the 42 official duels, a large part of which was also a substitute. Parker, defender of Manchester United in the nineties, thinks it is nonsense that the the Dutch international and Bruno Fernandes supposedly cannot play together in midfield.

“I just don’t understand why he barely gets around to playing,” Parker emphasizes in conversation with English media. “It’s a complete waste. I don’t understand what’s going on. The way in which Van de Beek is dealt with makes you wonder who actually brought him in. It seems as if a grudge is being held towards Van de Beek. He has a lot of talent, is diligent, works hard, can play around the penalty area and sends smart passes. ”

“Van de Beek can win games because he can play in a small space. He was trained at Ajax to be able to do that. No one at United has had a better education than Van de Beek, ”emphasizes the former England international, who believes that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should look for a way to allow both Fernandes and Van de Beek to play in midfield.

“I have long wondered why United needs two controlling midfielders,” Parker continued. “In crucial games I think they need more than one playmaker in the person of Fernandes. I don’t see Van de Beek as a replacement for Fernandes. Let them play together. Especially when Paul Pogba is not there. It lacks creativity. I think that partly due to corona it is very difficult for Van de Beek. His friends and family cannot come to England either. I just don’t understand this situation. ”

Van de Beek was missing from the match selection for the midweek game with Crystal Palace (0-0) because, according to Solskjaer, he ‘is not yet where the club wants him to be or where he wants to be’. According to the Manchester Evening News the Dutchman is also missing in the city derby against Manchester City on Sunday. The regional newspaper bases its coverage on the players who arrived at the Lowry Hotel in the run-up to city derby number 185.