Donny van de Beek could have a different role at Manchester United after pre-season form

It was billed as the summer when Donny van de Beek would finally find his feet at Manchester United, but so far, it has been about as successful as the summer of George in Seinfeld. There were lofty hopes and dreams for the United midfielder under the guidance of former Ajax mentor Erik ten Hag, though there has little on show in pre-season to justify the hype.

Van de Beek remains a popular figure at United, but all of the excitement surrounding him spawns from what he might be capable of doing, rather than what he is doing.

The 25-year-old was a key part of the Ajax side that achieved huge success under Ten Hag back in 2019, but since then his stock has gradually dwindled and he now enters a season that will be make-or-break for him at Old Trafford.

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There is mitigation for his poor form, though. He joined during a global pandemic that was not conducive to settling into a new environment. Instead of a proper pre-season schedule, his introduction was limited to behind-closed-doors matches and lockdown living.

By the time the season started, he wasn't prepared for the intensity or rhythm of English football and suffered from a packed fixture schedule that limited his opportunity to match preparation and recovery sessions rather than focused tactical work.

It was a similar issue last season without a proper pre-season and, despite a bright start to the new campaign, things quickly unravelled as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked, with Van de Beek, ironically, the standout star in his final outing against Watford.

Ralf Rangnick spoke of an increased role for the Dutch midfielder, but those words were never followed through. A loan move to Everton in