No one would be happier to hear about Eric Ten Haag's arrival than Van der Beek, given the midfielder's history of working with the current Ajax manager. The two played together at Ajax between 2017 and 2020, with Van de Beek a crucial figure for the coach during those years. Now, he will have the opportunity to reinvigorate his career under the leadership of his former boss. However, for him to succeed, there are several things he must do.
Van de Beek's first impressive opportunity will come in pre-season, when United travel to Asia and Australia to face Premier League rivals, which will be an opportunity worth taking advantage of. In the grander scheme, that doesn't mean anything, but it shows van der Beek is worth fighting for a first-team position. Moments like these are important in a season, especially for a player who rarely gets a chance to play. Van der Beek needs to establish himself as a player to look forward to in the new Manchester United as soon as possible.
In less than three years of working with Tenhag at Ajax, Van de Beek played a crucial role in a championship-winning season and a season reaching the Champions League semi-finals. The two didn't start well, but things got better over time, and he proved his worth in the 2018-19 season, performing well in important moments. The Ajax Academy graduate is one of the stars of that team and continuing to maintain this good relationship will be crucial for Van de Beek next season.
Admittedly, Van der Beek didn't play much in the Premier League, but few of his starting or substitute appearances had a major impact on the team. It's hard for a player to do that when they play, but apart from his debut goal and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's final game against Watford, Van de Beek's time on the pitch is fairly average. If he wants to make his mark at Old Trafford, it will be very important to build confidence and maintain confidence in the long run.
At Ajax, it took van der Beek a while to find the right rhythm – and this only happened after De Jong's growth and Russé Sean's arrangements around him. At Manchester United, the team may not yet have the right squad to help him succeed, it's not up to him. He is a talented footballer and if he wants to play his best, he needs to have the right people around him. As a result, van der Beek will most likely not be in the starting lineup immediately – the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Fred will be ahead of him. That means taking advantage of the opportunities he gets in the cup, and while he may play in a rotational lineup, that's something that needs to be addressed. It's difficult, but that's the reality he's in right now.