‘Anything but impressive’ – Aston Villa flop Donyell Malen slammed by Dutch media in win vs Lithuania
Donyell Malen’s struggles at Aston Villa have continued onto the international stage.
Malen signed for Villa from Borussia Dortmund last winter but has struggled to impress under Unai Emery, largely due to a lack of minutes in claret and blue.
This has seen supporters suggest that Emery favours other Villa stars ahead of Malen in the starting 11 and, as a result, is hampering the forward’s progress.
With that being said, the 26-year-old did start as Villa fell to a 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace, where he made little impact on the right flank.
Despite all this, Malen was afforded a starting role away from Villa Park with the Netherlands on Sunday, but he again failed to impress against Lithuania.
Donyell Malen struggles for Netherlands vs Lithuania
With the signing of Harvey Elliott, it is unclear where Malen fits in at Villa, something which will be seen in upcoming fixtures after the international break.
While fans wait to see the England Under-21 star in action, there was an ideal chance for the former PSV man to prove himself for his country.
This was especially the case when the versatile attacker was handed a start ahead of Xavi Simons on the right flank against the side rated 143rd in the FIFA rankings.
As a result, the Villa man would have been expected to thrive against Lithuania, but it is fair to say that he failed to do so after many negative reviews from the Dutch press, despite netting a disallowed goal.
| Stat vs Lithuania | Donyell Malen |
| Minutes played | 89 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Defensive contributions | 2 |
| Cross accuracy (%) | 25 |
This saw Voetbal Primeur speak out, saying his performance as a replacement for the new Tottenham man was “anything but impressive.”
Another outlet, Vi, didn’t hand out a better verdict, giving Villa’s number 17 a 5.5 rating, suggesting that he “barely managed a passing grade,” summing up his lack of impact.
Football Oranje added to this that he “didn’t exactly prove he is the man to play on the right full time,” something that may not stand him in good stead moving forward for his country.
Aston Villa can’t trust Donyell Malen
For a player who was featuring for a side in the Champions League final just two seasons ago, the Villans would have expected more from the Dutchman.
It can be said that Emery’s lack of faith in him has had an impact on his form, but when given the chance, the forward has to do better.
That wasn’t the case against Palace, and now that has been continued onto the international stage with the Netherlands, which will represent a concern.
Villa fans will continue to back Malen as he continues to be a favourite in B6, but unless his performances and output improve, there will be little reason to trust him to start in claret and blue.
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