Donny Van De Beek Believes That There Is Still Work To Be Done Under Erik Ten Hag

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has acknowledged that there is still room for improvement under new manager Erik ten Hag despite the positive start in the form of three back-to-back victories.

The Dutchman put it on a plate for Marcus Rashford's goal in the second half as Manchester United put on a strong showing in a 3-1 victory over a depleted Crystal Palace side.

This victory capped a three-game winning streak in their preseason campaign, during which they scored 11 goals while conceding only two.

To add to the list of positives was a promising performance from Van De Beek, a player whom many of the Old Trafford faithful would argue has not been given a fair run in the side prior to Erik ten Hag.

Nonetheless, speaking in his post-match interview, he mentions that in spite of the positive performances and a collection of well put together goals, there is still work to be done in the Ten Hag era. 

"You could see some structure in the team and we scored some amazing goals tonight," he told MUTV.

"Of course we have individual qualities, but we also played as a team and there is still room for improvement. Step by step." 

Having made his debut for Manchester United in a 3-1 defeat against the Eagles where he scored his first goal for the club, he is well aware of the calibre of football they are able to produce on any given night, with their first team members all available.

"They (Crystal Palace) were missing a lot of players and I know they have some good players in the squad. They are a good team.

Donny Van de Beek and Jadon Sancho were involved in the goals against Crystal Palace. (Man Utd)

"It was a good friendly match for us because we will also see them in the league. It was good."

Van De Beek is on his first overseas tour with United after the global pandemic prevented him from doing so in his first two seasons at the club.

When asked about his final game in Melbourne, he was full of praise for the experience.

"I have to say we played two games here and you could see how many fans there were in the stadium – there were so many Man United fans. 

"It was a very nice experience for me and everyone in the team. 

"I want to say thank you, I enjoyed it a lot. It was a really good experience so, again, thank you."

Erik ten Hag

The United squad have now left Melbourne and are on their way to Perth, located in the western region of Australia, where they will take on Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa in their fourth fixture of the pre-season campaign.

With less than three weeks remaining till United's opening Premier League fixture against Brighton, Van De Beek will be hoping to continue his upward trajectory in what could be a pivotal season for the Dutch international.