Matthijs de Ligt has made a bold claim about Manchester United’s performances this season, as the squad prepare for Liverpool on Sunday.
Manchester United make the short trip to Anfield on Sunday afternoon in a crucial game in Rúben Amorim’s future, as well as the rest of United’s season. Another embarrassing performance against Arne Slot’s side could bring Amorim’s time as United boss to an end.
Liverpool currently sit second in the Premier League – before the start of this matchday – just one point behind Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. However, they have lost all of their last three games against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.
After Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent public support, Amorim will be keen to prove the INEOS owner right and showcase a good performance this weekend, even if United can’t take all three points away from Merseyside.
One man likely to start on Sunday is Matthijs de Ligt. He has started all seven of United’s Premier League fixtures this season, including games as a central centre-back and a right-centre-back.
The Dutchman has recently revealed why he chose to sign for United in 2024, and it seems he understands how important the Liverpool game is, despite being at the club for just over one year.
De Ligt knows the “magnitude” of Liverpool game
In preparation for the Manchester vs Merseyside clash this weekend, de Ligt has revealed how the squad are feeling about facing last season’s title winners.
“We know the magnitude of it,” said the former Juventus defender to The Telegraph. “I walked down the street yesterday and several people said to me ‘Hey, Sunday’s the game!’ You feel around here what it means. We already know that as players. But, besides that, we also know that it’s really important for us to get a result because we’re improving. But we have to keep winning.”
De Ligt went on to talk about United’s season so far: “Of course. But, in the end, it’s all about winning. Data doesn’t count. Statistics don’t count.
“But obviously when you’re not winning and you see that still you had a lot of chances and you just maybe missed the final touch to score a goal this gives confidence that we are actually playing quite OK. This gives us the belief that we can win a lot of games.”
When asked about his own performances, de Ligt said: “I’m really happy about the stats. I hope we can combine these good statistics with winning.”
De Ligt is the character United need
In recent years, United have lost several key leaders at the club, leaving just Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire as recognised captains. Amorim’s six-man leadership group should take the burden away from those two players, but it still appears that most look to them when times are tough.
However, despite being left out of Amorim’s leadership team, de Ligt has proven to be the exact character needed at Old Trafford. He is often seen marshalling his defence and praising his other teammates on the pitch.
With Fernandes linked with a move to Saudi Arabia – likely coming in the summer transfer window – de Ligt may be forced into a leadership role. The Dutchman has experience of captaincy from his time at Ajax, when he was appointed captain at just 18 years old.
United need to sign more players like de Ligt, who will take responsibility when it’s not going well and share the praise when on a good run. Amorim should be grateful that he has the former Bayern Munich defender in his squad.
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