If Erik ten Hag were to be appointed as the new permanent manager of Manchester United, it would be music to the ears of one struggling Red Devils talent.
Donny van de Beek's Old Trafford career has failed to catch fire since he made the move from Ajax in the summer of 2020 to the tune of £40million and reached a new low in January of 2022 when he was allowed to join struggling Everton on loan for the remainder of the campaign. Things have hardly been much better at Goodison Park, with Van de Beek failing to make an impact in a Toffees side that currently languish as low as 17th in the table.
In terms of his United misfortune, some have laid the blame at the door of the player himself while others have questioned why he was ever purchased in the first place. Ten Hag was firmly in the camp of the latter, going on record as describing the treatment of the midfielder as a "mortal sin."
Speaking to de Volkskrant back in December, the United managerial candidate said: "Donny, I find that hard. [It’s a] mortal sin. If you haven’t had a chance yet, then development will also stall. Every now and then you encourage them." Van de Beek's development has stalled and then some, with the 24-year-old looking a world away from the talent that helped Ajax reach the last four of the Champions League three years ago.
If Ten Hag becomes United boss, Van de Beek is almost certain to get another crack at proving he is of the required calibre to challenge for the game's biggest honours. The former Utrecht manager favours a possession-heavy style of play which suits Van de Beek far more than the counter-attacking style Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would play.
Much of Ten Hag's style is inspired by Manchester City's Pep Guardiola after the pair worked closely at Bayern Munich. Guardiola was at the helm of the senior side, while Ten Hag led the reserve outfit. Both coaches have put their own twist on the 4-3-3 formation.
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"I learned a lot from Guardiola," Ten Hag said previously when discussing his former Bayern colleague. "His philosophy is sensational. What he did in Barcelona, Bayern and now with City, that attacking style sees him win a lot. It’s this structure that I have tried to implement at Ajax."
He later doubled down on his claims, revealing to Munich-based paper Sueddeutsche Zeitung in 2019: "Pep was a pioneer, he changed football in Germany, I watched almost every training session. I took a lot from him, in terms of his methods — how he gets his philosophy onto the pitch, build-up play, transition, attack, he had drills for everything. Sometimes in groups, sometimes with all parts of the team, sometimes with a player by himself. Everything was incredibly fixated on detail."
Ajax's run to the final four of club football's most elite competition in 2019 was something to behold, with Van de Beek playing a crucial role throughout. His away goal at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium laid down a marker to let potential suitors know he could hack it against Premier League opposition.
Yet, at United he has barely been given a chance - out of favour under both Solskjaer and interim Ralf Rangnick, Van de Beek has been given very limited opportunity to strut his stuff. Ten Hag's appointment could be provide the kickstart the midfielder's flatlining career requires.
