Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been “taking the p***” out of Donny van de Beek at Manchester United this season, according to Paul Ince.
Van de Beek joined United in September 2020 from Ajax in a deal worth an initial £35million, which could rise by a further £5m due to add-ons.
The 24-year-old midfielder has endured a difficult time at Old Trafford, spending the majority of his time on the substitutes’ bench.
He has made just five appearances across all competitions this season, playing a combined 154 minutes, despite the team’s recent struggles.
United have won just three of their last 10 matches in all competitions, with a 5-0 defeat by Liverpool and 2-0 loss against Manchester City at Old Trafford heaping pressure on Solskjaer.
Solskjaer has been reluctant to change his side and Van de Beek was given just 10 minutes at the end of the one-sided derby on Saturday.
Former United midfielder Ince has been dismayed by Solskjaer’s treatment of the Netherlands international, accusing him of reneging on the promise he made when signing him last year.
“Donny van de Beek gets four minutes against Atalanta. What worries me is the choices Ole makes,” Ince told the United Stand podcast.
“This is a player who Ole said, ‘come to Old Trafford, you’re going to start in my team, you’ll cost £40million, you’re going to be the centre hub of the midfield’.
“This is what he said and Donny thought, ‘f*** me, this is my dream, this is what I’ve been waiting for’.
“Two years [sic] down the line he’s on the bench. Ole’s actually taken the p*** out of him.
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“Not only has he taken the p*** 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*** 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*** out of him even more. It’s decisions like that baffle me, they really do. I don’t understand.”
The Daily Mail reports that the United players have a similar opinion to Ince and are starting to sympathise with Van de Beek's plight more and more.
They are said to be as confused as the Dutchman as to why he has been banished to the bench since signing for the club.
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Ince also highlighted the situations of Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba as areas where Solskjaer’s management has been lacking recently.
“He stopped Jesse Lingard from going to West Ham because he said he’ll be part of his team,” he said. “You’re 2-0 down and you don’t bring him on.
“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.”
