September 13th 2024.
Erik ten Hag has come to the defense of his player, Matthijs de Ligt, after the young defender faced a tough time with the Netherlands during the international break. De Ligt, who recently joined Manchester United, made some costly mistakes in games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany, leading to criticism from his manager and teammate, Virgil van Dijk.
Ronald Koeman, the Dutch manager, was quick to point out De Ligt's individual error that led to a goal and expressed that he needs to improve. However, he also mentioned that he would have preferred to keep De Ligt on the pitch, but it seems like all his mistakes are being punished at the moment. Van Dijk, the captain of the Netherlands and Liverpool, also commented on the situation, stating that at the highest level, one mistake can lead to punishment.
This added pressure on De Ligt, who joined United from Bayern Munich this summer for a hefty fee of £38 million, has not gone unnoticed. Dutch football legend, Rafael van der Vaart, even claimed that De Ligt has not been the same player since leaving Ajax in 2019. However, United manager, Erik ten Hag, who worked with De Ligt at Ajax and signed him for the club, believes that we will soon see the defender's qualities shine through.
Ten Hag spoke highly of De Ligt's character and personality, stating that he will overcome this difficult period and bounce back for the Dutch squad. He also reassured that he is not worried about De Ligt's performance in the club, as he knows the player's abilities and that he will fight back. Ten Hag also explained that De Ligt had a tough pre-season due to lack of game time and is still finding his rhythm, but once he is up to full speed, we will see a different quality in him.
De Ligt is expected to start in the upcoming game against Southampton, where he will be joined by another new signing, Manuel Ugarte, who is likely to make his debut for the Red Devils. With United facing pressure to perform, they will need their new signings to step up and deliver quality performances.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]