Donny van de Beek insists Manchester United still have room for improvement
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has insisted that the Red Devils still have "room for improvement" ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
The 20-time English champions have been in strong form during pre-season, recording three wins from three matches against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace.
Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were on the scoresheet against Palace on Tuesday, with Van de Beek playing the second half of the contest in Melbourne.
The Netherlands international is back at Man United this summer after an unsuccessful loan spell at Everton in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign.
The 25-year-old is bidding to become an important player for the Red Devils next season under Erik ten Hag, who managed the midfielder at Ajax.
Van de Beek has said that the team have had a solid "structure" this summer, but the Dutchman has insisted that there is still plenty of work to do ahead of the new season.
"You could see some structure in the team and we scored some amazing goals tonight. Of course we have individual qualities, but we also played as a team and there is still room for improvement. Step by step," the midfielder told MUTV.
"They (Palace) were missing a lot of players and I know they have some good players in the squad. They are a good team. It was a good friendly match for us because we will also see them in the league. It was good."
Van de Beek also said that he is enjoying playing in Australia, with the Red Devils having one more match in the country against Aston Villa on Saturday.
"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," added the Dutchman.
"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."
Man United boss Ten Hag recently said that he views Van de Beek as a number 10 rather than a central midfielder, with the Dutchman potentially competing with Bruno Fernandes for a starting spot in 2022-23.
"He can do both. I know that from the past. But his best position, his best capability is in the box of the opponent. Playing short behind the striker, he has a really good smell of being in the right position," Ten Hag told reporters.
The midfielder has made 50 appearances for the Red Devils since his arrival from Ajax in September 2020 but has only contributed two goals and two assists during an underwhelming spell.
After facing Villa, Man United will return to Europe for their final two pre-season friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano ahead of their Premier League opener with Brighton & Hove Albion on Augustv
