Erik ten Hag made a few mistakes (some would say more than a few) especially towards the end of his time at United. One of the labels thrown at the former Dutch manager was that 'HE'S ONLY SIGNING DUTCH OR EX-AJAX PLAYERS!', specifically ones that played for him.
When he did so once again with Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs De Ligt, those comments came flooding back.
Yet those who actually understand the game would've been excited by this as we've seen just how good this duo can be. I mean, you don't play for the likes of Ajax, Juventus (in De Ligt's case), Bayern and now United if you're not good enough.
I was one of those that did get hard when learning about the coup nay steal of Mazraoui and De Ligt from Bayern for the combined fee of just £60m!
I still can't believe how cheap that is for two players of that experience and quality 😳. I ain't complaining tho 🤷♂️.
And I don't think many United fans are as well.
I want to focus on De Ligt. While Mazraoui definitely doesn't get the plaudits he deserves, he at least isn't talked about in such a negative state compared to De Ligt.
Before he even played for us, there was already a lot of talk about how the Dutchman was not really the quality we need and wasn't actually going to make us better and things along these lines.
Graeme Souness labeled the defender 'lightweight' and even ex-United legend Paul Scholes said "I'm not sure he is that much of an upgrade" when comparing him with Harry Maguire.
Scholes even mentioned how De Ligt was a bit of a reject after having been let go by all of Ajax, Juventus and Bayern.
Maybe those clubs were just silly to let him go?
The Munich fans were actually really upset that the club were moving the defender on with there even being a petition to keep him at the club. 60 000 of their fans signed this petition. Unfortunately for them, it didn't work 😔.
Fortunately for us, it did 😄
These comments by these so called 'pundits' were made at the start of the season before he really got going in a United shirt.
This post isn't going to include stats about how many last-ditch tackles he made, or blocks that were important, his passing accuracy, aerial duels won and all of that.
This is simply based on what I've seen from him at United and previously.
Start to life at Old Trafford wasn't easy but how could it be when looking at how crap we were yet as time went by, De Ligt began to show what a top defender he is. More than this, he displayed a bit of leadership that which we didn't have at the club for a while.
For a new player to come in and do this straight away, it was a bit strange. Yet it displayed his character in that he isn't afraid to lead the team despite being a new recruit.
There was also a lot of talk about him being somehwat injury prone and could maybe be a player that is a little unreliable for United. While he did have some injury issues over the years, it hasn't been anything hectic to a point where you do worry that he could have a few problems.
So far this season, he has missed 1 game...
through illness...
In terms of most minutes played for United in 24/25, De Ligt sits in 4th spot behind Mazraoui, Bruno and Dalot who is at the top of that list.
He has been ever-present.
On top of his availability, experience and leadership, De Ligt has all the makings of a top defender.
How he reads the game is superb as without that natural speed, he does have to try and make up for that in whatever way he can with his reading of the game and anticipation being two of his strongest aspects.
He wins most of his headers, he is an organizer at the back as the times that he was absent or on the bench, United's defense didn't look anywhere near as solid. The Dutchman is also quite strong and as we saw with his last-ditch block against Leicester, can be a game changer as well.
I also love the passion with which he plays the game. It is very infectious and as a fan, you love to see just how much it means to a defender to do a good piece of defending.
He appears to be a good character as well with the ultimate professionalism and a player that his teammates and manager can truly rely upon.
De Ligt also has 2 goals this season showing that he can be a bit of a threat in the opposition box.
These type of players are so invaluable to a manager, almost as if they have a manager on the field.
The fact that he's also 25-years-old means that he still has many years ahead of him. Having played for some of the biggest clubs in history, he also understands what pressure is and how to deal with it which shows in his performances.
Biggest club in the Netherlands ✅
Biggest club in Italy ✅
Biggest club in Germany ✅
Biggest club in England ✅
Who else can say they've done that?
De Ligt is also a winner despite his young age which again, is another aspect of him as a footballer that makes him a great addition to this United side, one that lacks winners and leaders.
He is true captain material.
Those type of comments by those pundits is almost saying 'tell me you've never watched De Ligt without telling me you've never watched De Ligt.'
Being able to easily adapt his game from one formation to the next in the middle of a season in what is your first campaign is not something that's been discussed that much as well as it isn't as easy as he's made it appear. There's been many who have struggled and who are still struggling with that at the moment.
De Ligt can also play across that back line showing he is a little versatile.
'Lightweight' and 'not an upgrade on Maguire.' My arse.
At just £42m, United got an absolute bargain when taking into account all that he's done in his career.
He is one of the first names on the team sheet and is one of Amorim's trusted lietenants.
Matthijs De Ligt, what a player. What a signing 👏.
Background Image: Matthijs De Ligt has been one of Man Utd's best players this season | Creator: Michael Regan | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2024 Getty Images via Man Utd News