4 Manchester United players who have been treated unfairly by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Manchester United v İstanbul Basaksehir: Group H - UEFA Champions League
Manchester United v İstanbul Basaksehir: Group H - UEFA Champions League

#2 David de Gea

Manchester United v Leicester City - Premier League
Manchester United v Leicester City - Premier League

David de Gea has been one of Manchester United’s best players in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for three consecutive years.

The former Spain #1 has been a mainstay in Manchester United’s goal under a generation of managers including Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

In the post-SAF era, United displayed major defensive fragilities following the departures of Vidic and Ferdinand.

De Gea took over the mantle as Manchester United’s last man in defense, pulling off stunning saves time and again.

However, he has failed to guarantee a starting spot under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Part of the reason has been the promotion of Manchester United's academy product, Dean Henderson.

The absence of David de Gea due to paternity leave allowed Dean Henderson to exhibit his skills between the sticks. He notched up 13 clean sheets in 26 appearances.

Despite De Gea’s exceptional performances over the years, the 30-year old currently finds himself competing for a spot in Solskjaer’s starting lineup.

Inconsistent appearances have also cost De Gea his place in Spain’s XI.


#1 Donny van de Beek

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Premier League
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Premier League

The young Dutchman was one of the starring names in Ajax’s 2018/19 squad when the young team won the domestic double and staged a remarkable run to the CL semi-finals.

Van de Beek was one of the most sought-after names in world football when Manchester United signed him on a £35 million fee in 2020.

The 24-year old’s signing was preceded by the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, who scored 12 goals and provided 8 assists in his first six months. This made Van de Beek’s preferred No. 10 position unavailable, and he failed to get a consistent run in Manchester United’s XI.

Van de Beek has made 36 appearances for United this season, 21 of which were from the bench. 15 of the youngster’s 19 Premier League appearances have been as a substitute, and he has failed to get into the groove in his minimal playing time.

As evidenced by his four-year spell in Ajax’s senior team, Van de Beek is one of the brightest prospects in world football and can make a massive impact at Old Trafford if given the right opportunities.

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