24-year-old Man United midfielder targeted by pundit for role in West Ham defeat | OneFootball

Manchester United star Donny van de Beek blamed for surprise loss to West Ham United

According to The Mirror, Manchester United star, Donny van de Beek, has been faulted for the role he played in West Ham United’s surprise win at Old Trafford last night.

The Dutchman got himself a rare start and ended up playing the whole 90 minutes in United’s Carabao Cup tie against the Hammers. It was however a night to forget as the Red Devils fell short, getting themselves knocked out of the competition.

While there was a number of poor performances on the night, Sky Sports pundit Casey Stoney has zeroed in on Van de Beek for the loss.

Van de Beek was far from the worst player on the field. (Andrew Yates / Sportimage)

Stoney goes on to add that it was the Dutchman’s poor m parking that allows West Ham to go on and score their winner. Manual Lanzini’s first-half strike was the difference on the night.

Van de Beek has been accused of following the ball and not his marker. By doing so he left Lanzini unattended, permitting the Hammers ace to rifle the ball home.

A scapegoat?

While Van de Beek did not set any pulses racing with his performance, to make him the scapegoat for the result is a poor approach. While he should have done better to mark his man, putting the blame on him absolves the likes of Anthony Martial who were passengers all night.

The 24-year-old Dutchman has endured a difficult time at Old Trafford and is often an easy target to blame. Pundits and fans alike will do better than to just pin the blame on a player who has enough on his plate as it is.

The Red Devils made it to the semifinals of the competition for the last two years in a row. West ham will now take on Manchester City in the next round.